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9 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE CRIME OF THE OPERA HOUSE. 

It has been said, truly or otherwise, that every 
man has in his own life the materials for at least 
one romance, and for my part I am inclined to 
subscribe to the saying, seeing that the story I 
have to tell is as romantic as any I have read. 
Moreover, it happened to myself, though truly I 
was more of spectator than actor; still it came 
within the experience of my latter days, and out of 
such experience have I constructed this tale. I 
say constructed, for, indeed, I did but little else 
than arrange the events in due order, so as to make 
them understandable to all. Between chapter one 
which relates the committal of a crime and chapter 
seventeen which reveals the name of the person 
who committed it, there is a deal of unravelling to 
be done, and had it not been for the idleness of my 


10 


THE BLACK CAliKATIOK. 


life, I am afraid I would never have had time or 
patience to disentangle the mysterious circum- 
stances which surrounded the death of Marietta 
Mazzucata. 

Up to the age of fifty years my life was as 
smooth and happy as any mortal could desire. Of 
course, in common with all men, I suffered from 
petty annoyances, still, no very startling event ever 
happened to lift me out of the common ruck of hu- 
manity. I was horn of wealthy parents, I went to 
Eton, I migrated to Oxford, I entered the army, I 
left the army, I travelled here, there and every- 
where, enjoyed all things, exceeded in none, and 
between my fortieth and fiftieth years had become 
one of those well-dressed, well-preserved old fogies 
whom you may see any day in St. James’ Street, 
or at the windows of respectable clubs. My life, 
I am afraid, has been an extremely negative one — 
as I did neither harm nor good, but “ dandered on,” 
as the Scotch say, in a pleasant, aiml^s fashion, 
which had, at least, the merit of being happy. 

Then occurred that extraordinary event which 
turned my placid existence into one of great 
trouble and distress, though, doubtless, I was not 
called upon to mix myself up in the affair, and 
had I so chosen could have held aloof, which I 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


11 


certainly would have done had I not been seized 
with “ detective fever.” What ! You don’t know 
what it is ? then I hope for your own peace of 
mind you never will know, for it is a disease which 
entails sleepless nights, much thought and cease- 
less vigilance. In many cases the game is not 
worth the candle, and even in this instance, I doubt 
not, it would have been wiser for me to have left 
the affair to Scotland Yard, and not to have med- 
dled with what did not concern me. But as I said 
before, I was seized with detective fever ; and if 
it did not concern me, it greatly concerned Gilbert 
Tressinger and Lawrence Dallas, both good friends 
of mine. However, I have now prologized enough, 
so I will begin to tell you the story of Mazzucata 
from the very commencement, which, so far as this 
book is concerned, starts from Covent Garden 
Theatre on the first night of the new season. 

I am very fond of music, and for years have 
been an assiduous attendant at the opera whenever 
it chanced to be on at Covent Garden or Her 
Majesty’s. I have heard Jenny Lind, Malibran, 
Mario, Grisi — in fact all the great singers of the 
past, and remember Avell those palmy days of the 
Italian Opera, when Rossini, Donizetti, and Bel- 
lini were composing master-pieces. Then it was 


12 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


all melody and exquisite vocalization, but now, 
wtiat with this Wagner craze and Dvorak-Grieg- 
Brahms-mania, music seems to be nothing but 
noise. Probably I am wrong — in fact my nephew 
Charles, a graceless young dog who has no respect 
for age, tells me I am wrong, — but I had much 
rather hear an Italian aria, sung by a highly trained 
singer, than this incessant fiddle playing and drum 
banging, with every now and then a feeble note 
from the stage when a fortunate pause gives the 
vocalist an opportunity of being heard. Oh, Grisi, 
or Alboni, or Lablache, what could even your 
strong lungs do against this roar of brass, and 
shrieking of strings which is called orchestra- 
tion. 

Yet in spite ofmy distaste for such new-fangled 
music, I still go to the opera, and it was on that 
night of the sixteenth of May, one thousand eight 
hundred and ninety, when hearing Mazzucata in 
La Heine <L Ecosse^''" that the catastrophe oc- 
curred which resulted in the death of that great 
singer. 

She was a great singer, I admit, a worthy suc- 
cessor to Grisi and Persiani, full of fire and dra- 
matic force, not a mere musical box, twittering 
like a mechanical bird, which seems to be the 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


13 


prevailing style of the new school of singers. 
When I was a young man — but there, this is not a 
book of reminiscences, and I grow wearisome. I 
speak of the present not of the past, and will there- 
fore defer criticising this degenerated age, with 
which I am decidedly “ out of joint.” 

Renaud had composed La Reine and 

as he was the chief exponent of the most advanced 
French school, combining — so they say — a thorough 
knowledge of musical technique with a rare gift 
of melodic inspiration, the dilettanti of London, 
whose name is legion, looked forward to a treat of 
no common order, especially as Mazzucata had 
created the rdle of Mary Stuart in Paris to the 
complete satisfaction of Renaud who was no- 
toriously difficult to please. 

It being the first night of a new season, the 
first night of a new opera, and the first night of a 
new singer, the house was naturally crowded on 
account of the triple novelty, and I recognizecV 
many of my friends. The stall next to mine was 
vacant, however, and it was not until the overture 
had commenced that it was occupied, when to my 
surprise my neighbor proved to be young Law- 
rence Dallas, whom I had fancied was still abroad. 
A handsome young fellow he was, somewhat 


14 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


bronzed by tropical suns, but I thought for the 
moment that his face looked a trifle careworn, as 
though he T<^ere consumed by some secret sorrow. 
Of course he recognized me at once and shook 
hands, after carefully depositing under his seat a 
large bouquet of flowers. 

“ I didn’t know you were back, Dallas,” I said, 
as he sat down beside me. 

“ Oh, I returned to-day.” 

“ And came to the opera to-night. That is 
rather sharp work.” 

“ I had reasons for coming to-night,” he an- 
swered, hurriedly. 

“ Do those flowers form part of the reasons ? ” 

“ No ! they are for Mazzucata.” 

“ What, is she so good as that ? ” 

“ She is splendid. I saw her in Vienna.” 

“ Vienna ! ” I repeated, somewhat amazed. “ I 
did not know you had been there. I thought the 
East ” 

“ I’ve been everywhere,” interrupted Dallas with 
a frown. “East, west, and all over the world. 
Don’t I look all the better for my travels? ” 

“ No ! you look worried.” 

He started at this, and cast a searching look on 
my face. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


15 


“ You are a close observer, major,’* he said, 
slowly. “ I have been worried, but it’s all over 
now. I am here to enjoy myself.” 

“ And see Mazzucata.” 

“ Precisely. But here, you know everyone, 
major. Who is the man with the flowers, over 
yonder ? ” 

“ Sir Gilbert Tressinger,” I replied, following 
the direction of his eyes, “ his uncle has just died 
and left him eight thousand a year, and a title. 
Rather a change.” 

“ Why ‘ rather a change ’ ? ” 

“ Oh, it’s a long story, but the pith of it I can 
tell you in a few words. Gilbert’s father married 
an opera singer, who was by no means his social 
equal. The Tressinger family cut him off, and 
when the parents died, Gilbert was studying for 
the stage in Milan. He has a fine tenor voice, and 
was going to be a new Mario, but when his uncle 
died all these fine schemes were knocked on the 
head, and he came in for the property.” 

“ Lucky fellow,” said Dallas, raising his opera 
glass to a pair of brilliant black eyes, “ but why 
does he carry flowers otherwise than in his button- 
hole?” 

“ As far as that goes, why do you ? Mazzucata 


16 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


must be very good if you young fellows all honor 
her with bouquets.” 

“ Well, you see I know Mazzucata very well.” 

“ In that case you ought to know Tressinger,” 
said I, coolly. 

“ Never set eyes on him before to-night.” 

“ But you surely have heard his name ? ” 

“ No ! why should I ? ” 

“ And yet they say a woman can’t keep a secret.” 

“ Meaning Mazzucata,” observed Dallas, with a 
frown. 

“ Of course.” 

Dallas looked straight ahead, but I noticed he 
was observing me out of the tail of his eye, so, 
wondering at the persistent -way in which Mazzu- 
cata was mixed up in his conversation, I adopted 
the masterly policy of silence, thereby drawing 
him on to further explanation of his enigmatic 
utterances. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, at 
length in a hesitating manner. 

“ Oh, well, if you don’t know, you don’t know,” 
I answered ambiguously, “ but if you bring a 
bouquet to throw to Mazzucata, why should not 
Tressinger do the same.” 

“ He doesn’t know her.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


17 


“ There you are wrong. He knows her very 
well.” 

Dallas bit his lip and said something under his 
breath, the meaning of which I could not catch, 
but it sounded uncommonly like bad language. 
Then he laughed in a constrained manner, and 
tossed back his head, a trick he had with him when 
annoyed. 

“ Well, and why not? ” he said, after a pause, 
“ Mazzucata knows plenty of people.” 

“ Of course, especially rich young men.” 

“ What have you heard?” 

‘‘ Nothing but town talk. Hush, the curtain is 
rising.” 

The fact was, I knew a good deal about the 
lady in question, for my club, like the ear of 
Dionysius, gathers all news, and the relations 
between Tressinger and this singer had been pretty 
well discussed, but of course, I was going to m,en- 
tion nothing of this to my ’fiery young friend, 
Dallas. It is a weakness of my character that I am 
over fond of gossip, but I never repeat what I hear, 
so, having thus an excellent character for secrecy, 
I am the recipient of many things of a private nat- 
ure. Dallas knew that I would not hint my knowl- 
edge without good reason, and not at all daunted 


18 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


by my abrupt closing of the discussion, touched me 
on the shoulder as the curtain went up, to invite 
my attention. Now if there is one thing above 
another I dislike, it is being interrupted in my en- 
joyment, so I was not in a very amiable frame of 
mind when I turned in response to his touch. 

“ Well ! what is it ? ” 

“ Is Tressinger a very dear friend ? ” 

“ Yes, too dear to be respectable.” 

u It’s a .” 

“ Look here, Dallas,” said I, now thoroughly 
angry, for I knew his impulsive temper, “ if you 
want to make a noise go outside, I came here to 
enjoy the music, not to gossip.” 

“ Well, will you tell me all about this fellow to- 
night ? ” he persisted. 

“ Yes, yes. In fact I’ll introduce you to him.” 

“ Good, I’ll bear that in mind.” 

Having thus satisfied his curiosity for the time 
being, I concentrated my attention on the stage, 
but to tell the honest truth, my enjojunent for the 
evening was over, as the demeanor of Dallas had 
quite piqued my curiosity, and knowing what I 
did about Tressinger and Mazzucata, I was puzzled 
to think how the introduction of this new element 
would affect the position of affairs. Dallas was Irish 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


19 


and had a most ungovernable temper, so if it were 
the case, as I suspected, that the singer had been 
flirting with him, there was no doubt that when he 
found out she had thrown him over in favor of 
Tressinger, things would become unpleasantly warm 
for everyone concerned. I determined to find out 
all I could from Dallas with the idea of smoothing 
matters, though at the same time, I must confess, I 
was considerably curious to know the meaning of 
all this social mystery. 

At this period of my reflections, Mazzucata ap- 
peared on the stage, and without doubt she was a 
beautiful woman, not unworthy to represent the 
dead loveliness of Mary Stuart. It was the Scottish 
queen herself, not worn and gray with the shadow 
of a violent death near at hand, but bright and 
youthful, holding her court in grim old Holyrood 
with the poet-lover Chastelard at her feet. Ivan, 
of course, took the part of the French chevalier, 
and sang the difficult music allotted to the role as 
only he can sing it. He put me much in mind of 
Mario, both as regards voice and appearance, but 
his face was somewhat after the style of Charles 
Stuart, with grave melancholy eyes — too sombre 
for a lover, and yet fitted for the character, seeing 
what was the end of the original. 


20 the black carnation. 

The stage was very brilliant, representing the 
throne room of the old palace, filled with silken- 
dad courtiers and lovely women all grouped 
round the dais whereon sat Mary Stuart in the 
spring-time of her fatal beauty. There was a 
chorus of stern Scottish barons, a counter chorus 
of Presbyterian fanatics, and when these latter 
insulted the queen, Chastelard, bold, gay and 
wrathful, dashed, sword in hand, before the throne 
to defend his mistr-ess. As I said before, I do not 
care about modern music, but the stirring finale of 
this act was worked up in a manner worthy of 
Meyerbeer’s Huguenots, and when the curtain fell, 
I, in spite of my prejudices, applauded as heartily 
as the rest of the audience. I am a just man, and, 
from long experience, esteem myself a good critic, 
so I am not ashamed to give it as my oj)inion that 
Mazzucata was but little inferior to Giulia Grisi 
either as regards acting, voice or vocal production. 

“ Well, what about Tressinger ? ” 

It was Dallas who spoke, and I must say I was 
distinctly annoyed, as his incessant desire for in- 
formation quite spoilt my appreciation of the new 
singer. Under these circumstances I answered 
him sharply, as I am sure I had every right to do, 
for his very mal d propos question. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


21 


“ Good heavens, Dallas, are you still harping on 
that fellow — cannot you enjoy the music ? ” 

“ Oh, the music is well enough, hut I want to 
know about Tressinger.” 

“ You have Tressinger on the brain. What is 
he to you ? ” 

“Nothing,” retorted Dallas, promptly, “but, 
from what you say, he’s a good deal to Mazzucata.” 

“ Ah ! you are jealous.” 

“ Rubbish ! ” 

“ I quite agree with you,” I answered, smiling, 
“ it is rubbish to be jealous — especially on account 
of that lyric coquette.” 

“ How do you know she’s a coquette ? ” 

“ Common report ” I began, but he inter- 

rupted me rudely. 

“ Common report is a common liar.” 

“ I’ve heard that before.” 

“ It’s a truism,” said Dallas, crosHy, “ but look 
here, major, don’t abuse Mazzucata any more, for 
I love her better than my life — in fact, I want to 
marry her.” 

I stared at him in dismay. 

“ Are you mad ? ” 

“ No ! I’m as sane as you are. Because you’ve 
never married, that doesn’t say I shouldn’t.” 


22 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Don’t talk so loud,” said I, soothingly, for he 
had raised his voice more than I liked, “ marry if 
you like — but Mazzucata ” 

“ Well, what have you to say against her ? ” he 
demanded, defiantly. 

“ I’ll tell you all I know to-night.” 

This closed the conversation for the time being, 
as the curtain was now rising on the second act, 
and Dallas, therefore, held his tongue, for which 
boon I was very thankful, not caring to be worried 
much more by his incessant questioning and bad 
temper. I had a good deal to say against Mazzu- 
cata ; but who would be such a fool as to ignite 
this mass of gunpowder ? Dallas, as I well knew^ 
had a very bad temper, and no respect for age ; so, 
in such circumstances, a wise man holds his tongue. 
I am a wise man, so I held mine — for the time 
being. 

The second act of the lyric drama, as ’tis now 
the fashion to call an opera, consisted mostly of 
intrigue, in which the queen, Chastelard, Murray, 
and John Knox were all involved, ending in a fine 
scene, in which Mary banishes the poet from her 
presence for his presumptuous passion. From a 
musical point of view, I did not consider it so fine 
as the first act ; but, probably, Renaud had pur- 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 28 

posely restrained his genius at this part, in order to 
accentuate more fully the splendid third act, which 
was said to be a triumph of melodic inspiration 
and harmonic cunning. 

When the curtain fell for the second time, I 
saw Gilbert Tressinger rise from his seat, and go 
out into the vestibule of the theatre. Upon see- 
ing this, Dallas touched my arm, and hastily fol- 
lowed him. I arose with considerable reluctance, 
as, not smoking myself, I find a tobacco-impregnated 
atmosphere extremely disagreeable, and would 
much preferred to have remained quietly in my 
place, or visited the boxes of my friends. Dallas, 
however, was so anxious to meet Tressinger, and I 
was so anxious to see why he desired such a meet- 
ing, that we both followed the young man, — a 
thing I would not have done under any other 
circumstances. 

“ There he is,” whispered Dallas, when we were 
in the smoking-room, “leaning against the wall.” 

“ You won’t wait a moment,” said I, crossly ; but, 
nevertheless, for the sake of peace, walked across 
to Tressinger, holding out my hand. 

“How do you do, Gilbert?” I said, using the 
privilege of an old friend, and calling him by his 
Christian name. “ So you are back from Paris ? ” 


24 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Yes ; I only ran over on business, major.” 

“Mazzucata business,” I murmured, under my 
breath. “ Oh, by the way, let me introduce you 
to my friend : Mr. Dallas — Sir Gilbert Tres- 
singer.” 

“ Lawrence Dallas,” said Gilbert, with a bow. 
“I know you very well, Mr. Dallas. We have a 
mutual friend, I think.” 

“ Signora Mazzucata,” replied Dallas, in a 
marked tone; and then they eyed each other with 
considerable curiosity, while I, wondering what 
was to be the outcome of the meeting, stood aside, 
watching the comedy. 

“I knew Signora Mazzucata in Italy,” said Law- 
rence, at length, in an agreeable manner, evidently 
considering it best to be diplomatic. 

“ So she told me. Some time ago, is it not ? ” 

“ About eighteen months, or thereabouts. Since 
then, I have been travelling in the East, and only 
returned to-day.” 

“ Oh ! ” murmured Gilbert, significantly. “ And 
you patronize the opera on the first night of your 
arrival ! You are fond of music ? ” 

“Yes, very,” replied Dallas, who saw at what 
Tressinger was hinting, and determined not to 
gratify his rival by showing that he did. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


25 


‘‘ So fond,” said I, interposing amiably, with the 
intention of preventing a quarrel between those 
hot-headed youngsters, “ that he brought a bouquet 
to throw to the lady.” 

‘‘I am afraid I also must plead guilty,” observed 
Gilbert, with a laugh, upon which Dallas half 
frowned, then recollecting his manners, smiled 
quietly. 

“ One cannot pay too many compliments to an 
artist of Signora Mazzucata’s standing,” he said, 
carelessly ; “ do you know her well. Sir Gilbert ? ” 

“Yes, very well, I saw a great deal of her in 
Paris.” 

“ Ah ! ” said Dallas, jealously, and made no 
further remark about the singer. 

On his part Tressinger scrupulously refrained 
from further discussing Mazzucata, and for the 
rest of the conversation the two young men, both 
eaten up with jealousy about this woman, behaved 
in a regulation society manner. This conversation 
puzzled me more than ever, and when we were 
once more seated in our stalls I spoke to Dallas 
on the matter. 

“ Well ! ” 

“ Well,” he replied, stolidly. 

“ You are a riddle to-night,” I said, shrugging my 


26 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


shoulders, “ you get into a vile temper with a man 
you do not know, and when I introduce you to him 
at your express request, you are positively agree- 
able to one whom I verily believe you regard as 
your enemy.” 

“ If he loves Mazzucata I do regard him as my 
enemy.” 

“ And why? ” 

“ Because I also love her.” 

“ There are always two to a bargain,” I observed, 
sapiently ; “ so far as I can see, you are both in love 
with this woman. Now the chances are that she 
prefers one of you — which one?” 

“ Myself ! ” said Dallas, promptly. 

“Well, supposing it’s Tressinger? ” 

, “In that case, I would kill her,” he replied 
equally promptly. I stared in surprise, upon which 
he broke out into a harsh laugh which had the 
effect of making several people turn their heads to 
look at him. 

“ Oh, you wonder at my melodrama,” he said, at 
length in a low voice, “ but I tell you I would. 
You have no idea how I love her — of the encourao-e- 

o 

ment she has given me. I heard all about Tres- 
singer — oh yes, you told me nothing new, and 
knowing he was to be here to-night, I came with 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


27 


the intention of being introduced to him. Well, 
I have been introduced to him, and now I know ” 

He paused suddenly, and, much impressed by 
his manner, I spoke at once. 

“ Know what ? ” 

“ That which I desired to know.” 

“ My good fellow, you rave,” I said in calm de- 
spair at the hopelessness of extracting sense from 
this erratic maniac. 

“Wait till to-morrow,” he whispered harshly, 
“ and you will see if I rave.” 

I was about to make a further remark when the 
curtain rose, and as Dallas obstinately refused to 
speak again, I was obliged to turn my attention to 
the stage, though I wondered much at the strange 
manner in which he was behaving. However, I 
put down his extraordinary conduct to an attack 
of love, and prepared to listen to this famous third 
act which had been extolled throughout Europe 
as a miracle of musical excellence. 

The stage was set to represent the queen’s cham- 
ber in Holyrood, and after half the act had passed 
in chorus and songs from Chastelard and the queen, 
the great duet which was so famous, began. Chasrte- 
lard has hidden himself in the room, the queen sees 
him and runs to call her guards, but he, throwing 


28 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


himself at her feet, implores her to forgive what 
he has done for love’s sake. He appeals not to the 
queen, but to the woman, and she, forgetting her 
royalty, is about to confess that she loves him, when 
the sight of the crown recalls to her what she owes 
to her race, to her country. With a cry she breaks 
from his encircling arms and summons the guard. 
The chorus pour in, there is a splendid and stirring 
finale, and the curtain falls on Mary ordering 
Chastelard to prison. 

It was a great performance on the part of both 
artists, and when the curtain fell they were called 
before the footlights to receive the applause which 
they had honestly earned. The enthusiasm of the 
audience recalled to me the triumphs of Jenny Lind, 
especially when a perfect hail of flowers fell on the 
couple on the stage. Tressinger rising in his stall 
threw his bouquet to the prima-donna, upon which 
Dallas, not to be behindhand, also arose and threw 
his. Ivan picked up some flowers, but whether 
they were those of my two friends I am not pre- 
pared to say, and presented them to Mazzucata. 
The singer, all smiles, bowed first to one side of 
the house, and then to the other, pressing the bou- 
quet she held to her breast. Suddenly she looked 
at it and gave a cry of horror — a cry that was 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


29 


drowned in the frightful explosion which fol- 
lowed. 

There was a cloud of smoke which slowly dis- 
persed, and then through the smoky veil I saw, as 
in a dream, that which was once a lovely woman 
lying a mangled corpse on the stage. Ivan was 
leaning back against the curtain with a white face, 
half stunned with the noise of the explosion — a 
thrill of horror ran through the crowded house — 
there was a dead silence, then the vast audience 
arose with a roar of alarm and made for the doors. 
The cries of women, the curses of men, I heard half 
confusedly, but higher than all I heard a cry of 
terror — 

“ Dynamite ! 


30 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER IL 

DETECTIVE EEVER 

I AM not SO young as I was, therefore the catas- 
trophe of the previous night unnerved me so much 
that I lay longer in bed the next morning than 
was my custom. Pointer was greatly concerned 
— Pointer is my man — and wished to send for a 
doctor, but this extreme proceeding I sternly for- 
bade, knowing I should be quite recovered by noon, 
which indeed proved to be the case. After an excel- 
lent breakfast — for Pointer tempted me with my 
favorite dishes — I sent for the principal morning 
papers, in order to acquaint myself with the reports 
of this terrible calamity, which had so abruptly 
brought the performance of the previous night to a 
close. 

It is not my intention to set forth a full report 
of what the papers contained, as anyone who so 
desires can turn up the case for himself, but merely 
to incorporate herein the gist of the matter so far 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


31 


as is requisite for an understanding of the events 
which followed the committal of the crime. Judg- 
ing from the frank admissions of the press, the whole 
affair was veiled in mystery, and not even the most 
imaginative dared to put forward any theory as to 
the reason for the crime. All that was known 
appeared to be the barren fact that Mazzucata had 
been killed by the explosion of a dynamite 
cartridge concealed in the bouquet which she had 
held to her breast, but why such a crime should 
have been perpetrated in so bold and open a manner 
appeared to be quite inexplicable. Some of the 
papers indeed suggested that the dead woman had 
enemies, but so far as that goes, everyone in a public 
position has enemies, yet, as a rule, they refrain 
from letting their enmity carry them to such ex- 
treme lengths. 

At all events, whatever theories were put forward 
to account for the affair, the actual fact remained 
the same, that Mazzucata had been killed by the ex- 
plosion of a dynamite cartridge which formed the 
handle of a bouquet thrown to her on the stage. 
The whole question as to the detection of the 
crime lay in the discovery of the person who threw 
the fatal bunch of flowers. This, on the face of it, 
was utterly impossible, and one might as well try 


32 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


to find a needle in a haystack, as attempt to dis- 
cover the owner of -one particular bouquet flung 
at the feet of a prima-donna in company with 
several hundred tributes of the same kind. 

Clearly, therefore, nothing was to be gained from 
the papers, so I placed them all on one side, and 
discarding them as useless, sought in my own mind 
for an explanation of this hideous mystery. Here 
was a beautiful woman barbarously done to death in 
a public manner by some unknown enemy. Now 
the question was to find that enemy, and to do so 
it would be necessary for me to make myself 
acquainted with all circumstances connected with 
the early life of this unfortunate singer. 

In this respect I was absolutely ignorant, as, 
beyond the bare facts that Mazzucata had appeared 
in Italy, Vienna, Paris, and now London, with great 
success, I was quite in the dark regarding her 
previous history; Nowadays a public person’s 
private life is known to all, thanks to society 
papers, who search into mattem better left alone, 
but hitherto Mazzucata had escaped their pryings, 
and beyond the gossip of clubs, little was known 
of her life or personality. As to the latter she 
was reported to be a singularly charming woman, 
attractive in the highest degree, not so much on 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


33 


account of her undeniable beauty, as for a certain 
magnetic influence she exercised over all who 
came in contact with her. Her life, according to 
common report was not by any means a blameless 
one, as she was said to affect the society of rich 
young men, and having squeezed all their money out 
of them, let them die broken-hearted at her scorn. 
Not that I believe any young man of the present 
day ever died of a broken-heart ; but whatever 
might be the cause of their death, it was undeni- 
able that all who had anything to do with this 
modern Lamia, either perished in the flower of 
their youth when she tired of them ; or were 
ruined through her extravagant caprices which 
in many cases were scarcely those of a sane 
woman. 

All this information, however, I had gamed 
from the gossip of clubs. It was not to be found 
in the papers, and the general public knew noth- 
ing of Madame Mazzucata save that she was a 
great artiste. Now, however, the tragic event of 
her death would inspire the press to find out and 
publish all they could about her, in which case 
something would be found in her past life which 
would probaly point to a reason for the manner 

of her death. In an ordinary case I would have 

3 


34 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


left all this unravelling to the papers, the detec- 
tives, to whomsoever it might concern, hut having 
witnessed the death of the singer I was unwilling 
to await such a slow method of solving the mystery 
and therefore determined myself to find out the 
cause of the crime. In two words I had detective 
fever. 

So far, so good, hut the question was, how was 
this fever to be cured ; and the obvious answer 
was, by finding the assassin of Mazzucata and 
handing him over to justice. The reason of the 
crime was to be found in her past life, so the first 
thing to be done was to seek information on this 
point from someone who had been intimate with 
her before she came to England. To find such a 
person I had not far to go — in fact two persons 
who could give me information were at hand, 
namely, Lawrence Dallas, and Gilbert Tressinger. 

Now what struck me as curious about these two 
young men was that each on the previous night 
had carried a bouquet of white flowers, and both 
bouquets had been thrown to Mazzucata shortly 
before the fatal event. Could it be possible that 
in one of those bouquets had been concealed the 
dynamite cartridge which caused the death of the 
singer ? I could not believe it, as I deemed both 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


35 


my friends incapable of sucli a crime ; and yet, 
when I recalled Dallas’s wild words regarding his 
intention of killing Mazzucata should she prove 
false to him, I confess that doubts began to creep 
into my mind. 

“ Dallas said he would kill her if she loved Tres- 
singer,” I said to myself as I dressed slowly, “ but 
then he did not know the truth of that until he 
met Tressinger, and between such meeting and the 
explosion he never left my side, therefore could 
not have prepared the bouquet with the intent of 
killing her. No! that infernal machine which 
formed the handle of the bouquet must have been 
carefully constructed, and as Dallas, in spite of his 
wild words, had no reason to think Mazzucata false 
until he met Tressinger, he could not have brought 
the flowers with the dynamite cartridge concealed 
therein. Clearly then Dallas had nothing to do 
with the death ; and as to Gilbert ” 

I sent Pointer out of the room at this moment, 
for having a habit of talking aloud to myself, I 
noticed he was eagerly listening, and not willing to 
admit him so far into my confidence, I got rid of him 
by some trivial excuse, and resumed my soliloquy. 

“ As to Gilbert, there is no doubt he did not 
commit the crime, for he had no reason to do so. 


36 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


He was Mazzucata’s favorite lover, and doubtless 
had seen her just before the performance, so, even 
granted he wished to kill her, he would hardly 
have done in public what he could have done in 
private. But there, such arguing is ridiculous — 
he had no reason to murder her, and therefore must 
be innocent. Dallas, even though he wished to 
kill her, had no time to prepare his infernal 
machine, therefore must also be innocent. It is 
apparent that neither of these young men is re- 
sponsible for the death of Mazzucata, so the assas- 
sin must be sought elsewhere.” 

It was all very fine arguing in this manner, but 
there was absolutely no clue to start from, and un- 
til some clue was discovered, the assassin of Maz- 
zucata would certainly escape the consequences of 
his crime. I had no doubt that by this time the 
matter was in the hands of the police, but notwith- 
standing this, seized as I was with detective fever, 
I determined to search for a clue to the crime my- 
self, and with this intent left my rooms to call on 
Dallas. 

“ If anyone be acquainted with Mazzucata’s past 
life it will be Dallas,” I said to myself as I walked 
along Piccadilly, “ and he may be able to tell me 
of some jealous lover, some lyric rival, some un- 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 37 

successful suitor, who had a motive for desiring 
the death of the singer ; once I find a motive for 
the crime, there will be no difficulty in tracing the 
criminal.” 

So I spoke, but alas ! too confidently, for I little 
knew how difficult was the task I had undertaken. 
It is just as well that detective fever is such a viru- 
lent disease, for were it not for the insatiable curi- 
osity of the same, the strongest and boldest man 
would hesitate before venturing on such a difficult 
quest as searching for a criminal. The labor is in- 
tense, the fatigue terrible, and every nerve must be 
strained if the matter is to be brought to a suc- 
cessful issue. In spite of all dexterity and every 
care, the great factor in the discovery of crime is 
chance — and chance, although I knew it not, was 
guiding me in the right direction for the detection 
of Mazzucata’s assassin. 

“ Dallas,” I said to myself as I went upstairs to 
his rooms in Half-Moon Street, “ Dallas will be 
able to tell me what he knows of her life ; and where 
he fails Tressinger may possibly supply the infor- 
mation, so by putting this and that together I may 
arrive at some conclusion. The question is whether 
Dallas will tell me all I wish to know.” 

I found the young man sitting in an arm-chair 


88 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


reading the Telegraph^ s account of the crime, and 
by his white set face, his clenched hand, his ^ dis- 
hevelled hair and red eyes, I saw that he was pro- 
foundly affected by the catastrophe which had 
robbed him of the woman he so much loved. With 
such a spectacle of despair before me, I knew it 
could not be Dallas who had committed the crime, 
and yet in my heart there Avas a doubt, a doubt 
which could only be set at rest by his solemn 
assurance of innocence. 

“ Major Granby,” he said, in a dull voice when 
I entered, “ You here? Well ! ” 

Sitting down in a comfortable chair near him I 
pointed solemnly to a glass of brandy and soda 
standing at his elbow. 

“You should not fly to that for consolation.” 
Dallas turned his lack-lustre eyes on the drink 
and then looked at me with a bitter smile. 

“ Don’t preach, major,” he said, harshly, “ jo\i 
don’t know Avhat it is to have loved and lost, there- 
fore you are no judge as to what means should be 
taken to quieten one’s conscience.” * 

“ Quieten one’s conscience,” I repeated, signifi- 
cantly, “ is there need of that ? ” 

“Need of that,” he said, rising to his feet with 
a frown, “ yes, great need.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 39 

“ Why, did you treat her badly ? ” 

“ On the contrary, she treated me badly,” he 
cried, walking to and fro in a state of uncontrol- 
lable agitation, “ still I might have restrained my 
temper and we would not have parted.” 

“ Parted where ? ” 

“ In Italy. Oh, yes ! we were great friends in 
Milan, I saw her at the opera and she was so beau- 
tiful that I fell in love with her. Del Orto in- 
troduced me to her, and as I was English she took 
a great fancy to me.” 

“ Why because you were English ? ” 

“ Like drawing to like I suppose. She was Eng- 
lish also.” 

“ What ? ” I cried, in amazement, “ Mazzucata 
English?” 

“ Or Irish if you wish to be particular, major. 
Yes, her real name was Magallan, but of course she 
took an Italian name when she went on the stage, 
and from Mary Magallan changed to Marietta 
Mazzucata.” 

“ I never knew that before.” 

“ There are a good many things you don’t 
know.” 

“ You are right. For instance: how she came 
by her death.” 


40 


THE BLACK CAENATION. 


Dallas was leaning against the mantel-piece, 
looking listlessly at the carpet ; hut at my last re- 
mark he looked up with blazing eyes. 

“ What the deuce has that t. > do with you ? ” 

I am an old man, hut, nevertheless, my temper 
is as fiery as that of a young one, and I would have 
resented Dallas’s remark very promptly, but that 
a thought of my desire to learn all about Mazzu- 
cata from him restrained me. With this in my 
mind, I therefore answered quietly, though I was 
much disposed to show my sense of the man’s 
impertinence by leaving the room. 

“ It has nothing to do with me, certainly, but I 
would like to know who killed the woman.” 

“ So would I ! So would I ! ” he repeated, vici- 
ously ; “ if I did I would strangle him — or her.” 

“ Do you think the crime was committed by a 
woman ? ” 

Dallas looked at me keenly, then crossing the 
room resumed his seat and finished his brandy and 
soda. 

“ How should I know. It’s none of my busi- 
ness.” 

“Considering what you said last night about 
killing her and what you say this morning about 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


41 


quietening your conscience, I should think it was 
a good deal of your business.” 

The young man sat quite still as I said these 
words, but I saw The knuckles of his fingers grow 
white as he suddei^x/ clutched the arms of his 
chair. 

“ Major Granby,” he said at length, in a measured 
voice, “ do you think I killed Mazzucata ? ” 

‘‘ I don’t know.” 

“ Thank you, major, I am much obliged to you 
for your good opinion. So you have come here 
to spy out traces of the crime, and put a rope 
round my neck, eh ? ” 

I kept quiet as long as I could, but evidently 
I was not born to be a detective, for at this last 
insulting speech I arose to my feet and poured 
forth the vials of my wrath on Dallas. 

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself speaking 
like that to a man old enough to be your father,” 
I cried, excitedly, “ I came to you out of friend- 
ship and to ask you to put my mind at rest. You 
say I suspect you of killing this woman, God 
knows, I do not wish to suspect you, but look at 
the way you spoke last night — look at the way 
you speak this morning. If you are not guilty, 
why do you act as if you were — I only came to 


42 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


warn you not to speak to others as you did to me, 
lest they suspect you of what I am sure you are 
innocent.’* 

“ Oh ! ” he said, sneeringly, “ so you are sure I 
am innocent.” 

“ I bid you good-morning, Mr. Dallas,” I replied, 
in a dignified manner, and walked towards the 
door. Before I reached it, however, he bounded 
across the room and stood with his hack to the 
door, thus barring my exit. 

“ Major Granby,” he cried, in a voice shaking 
with passion ; “I want a plain answer to a plain 
question, and until I get it you do not leave this 
room. Do you think I am a murderer ? ” 

I certainly felt that I occupied a very undigni- 
fied position, for in my desire to begin unravelling 
this mystery I had unwittingly sought to know 
more of my friend’s inner life than I had any right 
to. It seems to me that in becoming a detective, 
it is absolutely necessary to cast off all gentle- 
manly feeling so that one can press home ques- 
sions which good taste demands should not be 
asked. Now, at this eleventh hour, I felt inclined 
to retreat from the position I had taken up, but so 
strongly was I seized with the detective fever, that 
crushing down all objections on the part of my 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


43 


conscience, I answered Dallas, if not directly, at 
least boldly, 

“ I think you know more about the affair than 
3^ou admit.” 

“ Admit,” he retorted, scornfully, “ I have ad- 
mitted nothing.” 

“ And will admit nothing, I suppose ? ” 

“ I may do so — to the proper authorities.” 

“ In that event you may get into trouble.” 

“ Oh, that’s your opinion, is it, major? ” he said, 
derisively, “ but 3^ou are wrong. I am afraid you 
will find but little romance in this affair.” 

“ A beautiful woman with two lovers, both at 
the theatre on the night of her death. It seems 
to me, Dallas, that there is a good deal of romance 
there.” 

“ Oh ! so 3^ou suspect Tressinger also,” said 
Dallas, returning to his seat, and flinging himself 
down with a frown on his mobile face. 

“ I don’t suspect Tressinger and I don’t suspect 
you,” I retorted, irritably, “ if you will give me 
leave to speak plainly, I will tell you what I think.” 

“ Very well ! Speak as plainly as you will.” 

He filled himself a glass of soda and leaned 
back in his chair, while I sat down on the sofa and 
began to talk freely. 


44 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Lawrence ! have you ever had detective 
fever ? ” 

“ No ! ” 

“ Then I hope you never will have it, for it 
makes one feel the meanest man out.” 

“ Oh ! and you have detective fever ? ” 

“ Very badly ! That is why I came to you see 
you this morning.” 

“ But what have I to do with your disease ? ” 

“ Simply this. Mazzucata is dead — murdered 
by an unknown person, and I wish, for the sake of 
gratifying my own curiosity, to find out the name 
of that person.” 

“ You will never find out,” replied Lawrence, 
gloomily. ‘‘ How can you trace the owner of a 
bouquet thrown from the centre of a crowded 
theatre ? ” 

“ Perhaps not in that way ; but you know Maz- 
zucata’s early life, and can perhaps tell me of some 
one who wished her death.” 

“ Beyond myself I know no one who wished her 
death.” 

“ You don’t mean to admit that you killed her? ” 
I cried in a horrified tone. 

“ No, my friend. I’m too fond of my own skin 
to admit such a thing. It is true that I said I 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


45 


wished her death, but that was merely an expres- 
sion of rage from a jealous man.” 

“ Then who do you think killed her ? ” 

Dallas turned away his face. 

“ I don’t know,” he said at length, in a husky 
voice. 

“ But you suspect,” I persisted, feeling sure he 
was concealing something from me. 

“No! No!” 

“ Yes, you do, Dallas. Tell me her name.” 

“ Her name ! ” he cried, fiercely. “ What right 
have you to think a woman is guilty of the 
crime ? ” 

“ Well, from what you said ” 

“ I said nothing, and I say nothing. Major 
Granby, if you are a wise man, you will leave this 
affair alone. Mazzucata is dead — I am sorry she is 
dead in one way, because I loved her. I am glad 
she is dead in another way because she deceived 
me. What my suspicions are I decline to say, but 
merely tell you that you will never find the per- 
son who threw the bouquet.” 

“ I’m not so sure of that,” I retorted, now grow- 
ing suspicious ; “ at all events I will try.” 

“ As you please. Try, and fail.” 

“ I will not fail — if you will help me.” 


46 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ I won’t help you,” retorted Dallas, harshly, ris- 
ing to his feet. “ I will not lift a finger to avenge 
the death of a woman who deserved to die.” 

I arose to my feet and walked slowly towards 
the door. 

“ Where are you going, major ? ” asked Dallas, 
coolly. 

“ I am going to see Gilbert Tressinger, and find 
out from him what you refuse to tell me.” 

“ He can tell you nothing.” 

“You are wrong. He can tell me what parted 
you and this woman in Italy.” 

Dallas grew pale. As I looked at him steadily 
I seemed to see a guilty look on his face, but 
this was probably only my fancy, and I therefore 
opened the door to depart when he called me 
back. 

“ Major Granby.” 

“ Yes ! ” 

“ You are going to see Gilbert Tressinger? ” 

“ I am.” 

“ To ask about my former acquaintance with 
Mazzucata.” 

“ Precisely ! ” 

“ Well, if you want to learn more than you think, 
ask him about that flower.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


47 


“ What flower ? ” 

“ The Black Carnation.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” 

Dallas came swiftly across the room and pushed 
me gently outside the door with a mocking 
laugh. 

“ Ask him about the Black Carnation,” he said, 
sneeringly. “ Good-day, Major Granby.” 

MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NUMBER ONE. 

I firmly believe that Lawrence Dallas murdered 
the singer Marietta Mazzucata, and my reasons for 
such belief are as follows : — 

Last night he said if he discovered she loved 
another man he would kill her. 

Last night he discovered she was in love with 
Gilbert Tressinger, and doubtless thereupon deter- 
mined to kill her. 

Mazzucata was killed by the explosion of a 
dynamite cartridge concealed in a bouquet of white 
flowers, with one dark one in the centre. 

Dallas threw Mazzucata a bouquet of white 
flowers with a dark one in the centre, and im- 


48 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


mediately after it was thrown the explosion oc- 
curred. 

To-day Dallas says he is glad she is dead, and 
refuses to tell me anything about his past connec- 
tion with this singer. 



TEE BLACK CARNATION, 


49 


CHAPTER III. 

AN UNIQUE FLOWER. 

So far as I could see, up to the present I had 
made but little progress in my efforts to unravel 
the opera house crime, and in my interview with 
Dallas had gained no definite information. Cer- 
tainly, those doubts of his criminality which I had 
entertained before my visit were more or less con- 
firmed, as his whole attitude seemed to favor the 
idea of his guilt. If he were innocent he certainly 
acted in a way likely to cause suspicion, yet, on 
the other hand, if he were guilty, as I began to 
believe, he was crafty enough not to commit him- 
self in any way. As he very truly observed, it 
was an impossibility to trace the owner of the 
bouquet, and until such a result was achieved, 
there was no chance of Mazzucata’s assassin being 
brought to justice. 

Without doubt, judging from his conversation 
and demeanor, he might have thrown the bou- 
quet which contained the explosive, and I myself 


50 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


saw him throw Mazzucata some flowers, but, as I 
said before, I am not prepared to say whether it 
was Dallas’s bouquet she picked up, and so brought 
destruction on herself. Dallas denied his guilt, 
and taking everything into consideration, there 
was no chance of proving anything against him, 
so, having thus failed in one interview, I lost no 
time in seeking another with Tressinger, in the 
hope that I would be more successful in finding a 
clue. 

At this moment I recollected that I had already 
a clue, for the mention by Dallas of “ A Black 
Carnation,” suggested a starting-point, from whence 
one could hope to advance with a considerable de- 
gree of certainty. For myself, I was puzzled to 
know what was meant by a Black Carnation, as 
I had never heard of such a flower ; and unless it 
were the password of some secret society, I was com- 
pletely bewildered as to what could it be. As to 
the term “ secret society,” I argued it out in this 
way : 

Mazzucata was destroyed by an infernal machine 
on a small scale, hidden in a bouquet of innocent 
looking flowers. Such a mode of death suggests 
Nihilism, Anarchism, Communism, and these three 
words separately and collectively at once suggest 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


51 


a secret society. Now what was more likely than 
that Mazzucata was mixed up in some way with 
conspirators, and belonged to a secret society enti- 
tled The Black Carnation. As is usual with such 
leagues the members are bound to secrecy by oath, 
the breaking of which entails death. Mazzucata 
had cried out in alarm the moment before her death, 
and in the light of the above argument I could 
now understand her cry, for she had seen in the 
centre of the bouquet a Black Carnation, which 
was to her the symbol of a violent end. 

“ Yes,” said I, exultingly, on coming to this con- 
clusion, “ there is no doubt now in my mind that 
this is the true explanation of the mystery. Dallas 
cannot be guilty of her death, nor was the cause of 
such death a love affair. Mazzucata, doubtless, 
belonged to a secret society whose sign of death 
was a Black Carnation, and having betrayed the 
secrets of such a society was condemned to die. 
The black flower — an artificial flower I suppose, 
since no natural flower is black — was placed in the 
bouquet to warn her she must die, hence her cry of 
horror, and before she could throw away the dan- 
gerous flowers the explosion took place which killed 
her. Yes, I am right this time — she was a Nihilist 
and suffered the death of a traitress.” 


52 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


I could see all this plainly enough, but still it 
did not solve the riddle as to who threw the flowers. 
Dallas knew about the Black Carnation, so per- 
haps he also was a member of the society and had 
been appointed by the association to carry out the 
fatal order. Then again, he denied that he had 
killed Mazzucata and had referred me to Tressin- 
ger for information regarding the Black Carnation. 
Could it be possible that Gilbert had killed her ? 
Was he also a member of this Nihilistic club? 
Had the carrying out of the death sentence devolved 
on him? Impossible, for he loved this woman; 
and no orders, no oaths would have led him to 
commit such a crime. Love that laughs at lock- 
smiths would also laugh at Nihilism, and had it 
come to Gilbert’s knowledge that Mazzucata had 
been condemned to death, he would have at once 
warned her to fly, and not been base enough to 
carry out the vile commands of a parcel of 
villains. 

All these arguments were truly admirable, but 
as yet they had no very solid basis of fact. The 
Nihilistic idea might be true and it might not. 
All I knew was that Dallas had told me to ques- 
tion Tressinger about a Black Carnation, and as 
this at least was a starting-point, I determined to 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


58 


call on Gilbert at once and demand an explanation 
of this mysterious flower. 

In addition to the title and the income, Gilbert 
possessed a very pleasant little house in Curzon 
Street, admirably fitted up in a bachelor fashion. 
The late Sir Ralph having been a misogamist, had 
remained single all his life, and being extremely 
well off had made himself very comfortable in a 
selfish male fashion. Indeed I often envied him 
that perfect establishment in Curzon Street, which 
would have suited me excellently, for I have the 
tastes of a duke and the income, if not of a pauper, 
at least of a city clerk. It is true I have my half 
pay, and this, in conjunction with a few thousands 
invested in consols, is all I have to live on. For- 
tunately, however, I know a great many people 
and dine out nearly every night, while on other 
nights I enjoy myself at the O. F. Club, which 
possesses an excellent cook. 

The O. F. Club to us who frequent it, — the Old 
Friends’ Club to the world, and the Old Fogies’ 
Club to graceless young men — is situated in St. 
James’ Street and is very select. No one under 
forty years of age is admitted, and we prefer 
bachelors to married men, so that as our club con- 
sists of men of experience, you can guess that 


54 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


everything is conducted in the most admirable 
manner. We are all good judges of wine, of din- 
ners,- and of cigars, so that we insist upon the cel- 
lar and the cuisine being perfect, as it is — if it 
were not, the Old Friends would dissolve, as a 
desire for good living holds us together. Some- 
times a member will introduce a young man into 
the sacred dining-room of the Old Friends as a 
treat, but modern youths do not appreciate the 
triumphs of our Vatel as they should do, and we 
generally discourage these introductions. I my- 
self on one occasion took Gilbert Tressinger to dine 
there, and, in contrast to the rest of his compeers, 
he appreciated our menu so much, and compli- 
mented us so highly that he was invited again, 
and became quite a favorite with our members. In 
fact we were very indulgent to him and were 
always glad to see his merry face in our smoking 
room, therefore, when I called in at the Old Friends’ 
on my way to Curzon Street, I was not at all 
astonished to find Gilbert ensconced in a large arm- 
chair in the writing-room. 

Stay ! I was astonished ; not at seeing him 
there exactly, but at the idea that instead of re- 
maining in seclusion after the tragedy of the pre- 
vious night, he had ventured out into society so 


THE BLACK CABNATlOK. 


55 


soon. Upon my word, considering how he pro- 
fessed to love Mazzucata, it was hardly decent, 
but the young men of the present day have no 
hearts, nor palates either, seeing they appreciate 
neither women nor dinners to the extent which 
such delights demand. Now, when I was a young 
man — but there, I must digress no longer, but 
come back to the story and to Gilbert, who, as I 
said before, was seated in the writing-room look- 
ing at an envelope he had just addressed. 

So absorbed was he in his own thoughts that he 
did not notice me when I entered, and as we had 
the apartment to ourselves, I determined to try 
the effect on him of a little surprise. Evidently 
he was thinking of the Mazzucata tragedy, so if I 
suddenly asked him about the Black Carnation, 
he would be so startled that he might blurt out 
the truth, whatever it was, about that ridiculous 
flower. My interview with Dallas had put me on 
my guard against giving a man time to collect 
himself and tell lies, so I judged it wisest for my 
purpose in this instance to startle Tressinger, and, 
so to speak, bounce all he knew out of him. Hav- 
ing thus made up my mind I stole quietly behind 
him and sharply uttered the cabalistic words used 
by Dallas an hour previous. 


56 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


“What about the Black Carnation? ” 

Such a cry as he gave I never heard before and 
I trust I never will again, for it made my blood 
curdle to hear it, as he sprang to his feet with a 
horrified face. 

“ Major Granby,” he gasped at length, “ Major 
Granby.” 

Being an old soldier I have always my wits 
about me, and therefore seeing he was more upset 
than I bargained for, I touched the bell and 
ordered a glass of cognac when the waiter ap- 
peared. 

“ Major ! ” said Gilbert, again recovering him- 
self with an effort, “ what do you mean ? ” 

“ About the Black Carnation ? ” 

He put up his hands to his face with a kind of 
groan and fell back in his chair as though in a 
faint. I own I was much puzzled at this extraor- 
dinary behavior and would have spoken at once so 
eager was my curiosity, when fortunately the 
brandy arrived. Having sent the waiter out of 
the room, I took the glass in my hand and ap- 
proached Gilbert, who still remained seated in the 
arm-chair, with his face covered. 

“ Here, my boy, take this,” I said, in a kind 
tone, for I felt sorry for the way in which I had 


THE BLACK CAEKATION. 


57 


startled him. “ Drink it down and you will feel 
better.” 

With a sigh, he removed his hands from his 
face and took the glass, the contents of which he 
drained in one breath, then looked up into my face 
with a forced smile which he strove to render as 
careless as possible, but the attempt was not suc- 
cessful with me. 

Well, Major Granby, you rather startled me.” 

“ So I see, but why should my remark startle 
you ? ” I asked, looking at him sharply. 

“Because I did not know you knew anything 
about the Black Carnation.” 

“Nor did I until this morning.” 

“ Who told you about it? ” asked Gilbert, nerv- 
ously. 

“ Dallas.” 

“ Dallas ! ” he repeated, with a start, “ the fel- 
low to whom you introduced me last night? ” 

“ The same.” 

“ And what does he know about the Black Car- 
nation ? ” 

“ I am not aware of the extent of his knowledge. 
I called on him this morning, and when I was 
going he said, ‘ Ask Tress in ger about the Black 
Carnation.’ What he meant I do not know.” 


58 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


“ I know, however,” muttered the young man, 
thoughtfully ; “ yes, I know, so I have no doubt she 
told him also.” 

“ Who told him and what ? ” 

“ Mazzucata told him about the Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“What is the Black Carnation?” I asked, 
desperately curious regarding this mysterious 
flower. 

Tressinger hesitated a moment and looked 
steadily at the carpet, then raised his eyes and met 
my eager gaze. 

“ I don’t know why I should not tell you,” he 
said, at length, in a low voice, “ it is a flower.” 

“ An artificial flower ? ” 

“No, a real flower.” 

“ Rubbish ! who ever heard of a Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“No one ! but it exists for all that.” 

“ I don’t believe it.” 

“ I do ! I must, because I have seen it.” 

“ Seen a Black Carnation ! You are ioking*. 
Gilbert.” 

“ Upon my word of honor I am not. I have 
seen a natural carnation as black as your hat.” 

“ Dyed or painted ? ” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


59 


“ No ! grown by nature.” 

“ Impossible. Nature does not indulge in such 
freaks.” 

“ Perhaps not often, but in this case she has 
created a black flower.” 

“ Well,” said I, impatiently, “ whether this 
flower be natural or artificial, what has it to do 
with the death of Mazzucata ?” 

“ It was a sign that she was to die.” 

“ Why ? did she belong to a secret society ? ” 

“ I don’t know.” 

“Do you belong to a secret society ! ” 

Tressinger looked up in some surprise at my 
question. 

“ I ? No ! Why do you ask ? ” 

“ Oh, because — because — well, I hardly know 
how to explain myself.” 

“ Major Granby,” said Gilbert after a pause, 
during which he eyed me keenly, “ you seem to 
take a great interest in the death of Mazzucata.” 

“ Yes, I do. I want to know who killed her.” 

“ And your reason ? ” 

“ Not a very worthy one. I have detective 
fever.” 

“ In this instance I would advise you not to 
have detective fever.” 


60 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ In Heaven’s name, why ? ” 

“ Because you will never find out who killed 
Mazzucata.” 

“ You, too ! ” I cried, curiously; “ why, Dallas 
said exactly the same thing to me.” 

Dallas said the same thing,” repeated Gilbert, 
with lively interest ; “ why, what has he got to do 
with it ? ” 

“ That’s just what I wish to find out.” 

My companion rose to his feet, and took a few 
turns up and down the room with a perplexed look 
on his face. 

“ I can’t conceive why Dallas should say that,” 
he muttered, after a pause ; “he cannot suspect her.” 

“ Her ! ” said I, overhearing this remark, which 
was not meant for my ear, “ oh, it is a woman, 
then?” 

“ No,no ! certainly not,” replied Gilbert, sharply ; 
“ who said such a thing ? ” 

“ First Dallas, then you.” 

“ What ! did Dallas say that the crime had been 
committed by a woman ? ” 

“ Well, he hinted as much, and now you ” 

“III said nothing. I meant nothing. It was 
a slip of the tongue.” 

“ Slips of the tongue sometimes tell more than 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


61 


the most carefully prepared speech,” I answered, 
with a shrewd nod of my head. 

“ I wish you would stop talking like a sphinx,” 
cried the young man, in an ill-tempered tone, 
resuming his seat. “ What do you mean by all 
this questioning ? ” 

“ I wish to find out who killed Mazzucata.” 

“ Then you never will find out.” 

The agreement of Dallas and Tressinger on this 
point puzzled me greatly, and it seemed as though 
I were likely to learn as little from the latter as I 
had done from the former, when, in desperation, I 
determined to appeal to his love of life by showing 
him the perilous position in which he stood. 

“ Listen to me, Gilbert,” I said, gravely, laying 
my hand on his shoulder : “ I knew your uncle in- 
timatel}^, and promised him before he died to do 
all I could for his nephew. The time has now 
come when I can do a great deal — that is, if you 
will be plain with me.” 

“ What do you want me to tell you, major ? ” 
he asked, in a wondering tone. 

“ Tell me all about Mazzucata and this Black 
Carnation.” 

“ To what end ? ” 

“ Because I want to find out who killed this 


62 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


woman, and it seems to me that there is a clue to 
be found in this flower you speak of.” 

Tressinger remained silent for a few moments in' 
deep thought, and then spoke out plainly. 

“ I will tell you all I know, but I am afraid it 
will neither solve the mystery nor go any way 
towards elucidating it. I know no more than you 
do who killed Mazzucata.” 

“You know that it is a woman.” 

“No, I do not, it is only my fancy.” 

“ Then why are you and Dallas agreed on this 
point ? ” 

“ Dallas puzzles ni^,” said Gilbert, evading the 
point of my question, “ and I cannot conceive why 
he should make any mention of the Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“ Confound you and this Black Carnation. 
What does it all mean ? ” 

“ I wish I knew. However, I will make you as 
wise as I am myself, and then you can draw your 
own conclusions.” 

I waited impatiently for the story, and seeing 
this he began without further preamble, which was 
just as well, seeing that my curiosity was bringing 
on a fit of bad temper. 

“ I met Mazzucata some -six months ago at 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


63 


Monte Carlo, where she was then singing. You 
know I was brought up to be a singer, and have 
studied at Milan, so on being introduced to her 
she took a great interest in me on this account. 
From interest we rapidly passed into a state of 
affection for one another, and from thence to 
ardent love. I really believed she loved me 
truly. Oh, yes, I know what you are going to 
say, that she had many lovers before she met me. 
I am aware of all that — she told me all about her 
past life, and believe me, major, she was not so 
bad as people make out. Every singer’s reputa- 
tion is at the mercy of a scandal-loving public, 
and because my poor Marietta disregarded the 
conventionalities she laid herself open to censure, 
therefore her fair fame suffered, but I believed in 
her, despite all scandal, and would have made her 
my wife had she lived.” 

“ Dallas also.” 

“ I know all about Dallas’s infatuation. He 
met her eighteen montlis ago in Italy, and per- 
secuted her with his attentions, but beyond accept- 
ing such attentions as a pretty woman is accus- 
tomed to receive from a man, she gave him no 
encouragement. Still, notwithstanding her cold- 
ness, he persisted in his suit and offers of mar- 


64 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


riage, so she promised to give him an answer when 
he returned from his tour in the east. Meanwhile 
she met me, and as I tell you, we fell in love with 
one another ; she promised to become my wife 
when we heard that Dallas had returned.” 

“ You heard yesterday, I suppose, for he told 
me he only came back to town in the morning.” 

“ Exactly, ill news travels fast, you know. 
Well, she was going to tell him to-day that she 
intended to be my wife, when the catastrophe of 
last night occurred and robbed me of the woman 
I adored.” 

He buried his face in his hands, much affected, 
and respecting his grief, I remained sympathet- 
ically silent until he recovered himself. 

“But what has all this to do with the Black 
Carnation ? ” 

“ Everything ; listen. Marietta would not tell 
me anything of her girlhood, and to this day I am 
absolutely ignorant of her name.” 

“ It is Mary Magallan according to Dallas.” 

“ Mary Magallan,” he replied, scornfully, “ that 
is a lie she told Dallas to keep him quiet, but it is 
not her real name, for that she told to no one, not 
even to me. No one knows her real name, least 
of all, Dallas, and my knowledge of her life does 


TUE BLACK CARNATION. 


65 


not extend further back than her dShut in La 
Scala three years ago as Marietta Mazzucata.” 

“ She is Irish.” 

“Yes, I am aware of that, but I don’t know 
which part of Ireland she came from.” 

“ Do you know if she had any enemies ? ” 

“ Not that I ever heard of, but she must have 
had some unknown enemy, for on several occa- 
sions she told me she would die a violent death, 
and would receive a warning in the shape of a 
Black Carnatioh.” 

“ Which you saw ? ” 

“Well, to tell you the truth I did not believe 
there was such a thing in existence as a Black 
Carnation, but she assured me there was, and 
that she would receive one and be killed shortly 
afterwards.” 

“ Well, did she receive the warning ? ” 

“ Yes ! two days after she arrived in England I 
called at her hotel, and without a word she handed 
to me a flower, which was nothing more than a 
carnation, coal black. She then said she would 
be killed shortly, but refused to tell me any more, 
so I -know nothing of the person who sent her the 
token, or who killed her.” 

“ Didn’t such a warning unnerve her ? ” 


66 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Yes ! she was in a terrible state of mind, and 
wanted to forfeit her engagement. Indeed she 
did so, and was going back to Paris to-day 
with me, when we were to have been married at 
once.” 

“ But why did she sing last night ? ” 

“ The manager persuaded her, and she told me 
that she felt safe on the stage, as no one could kill 
her before a thousand people. Yet you saw what 
happened. Oh, the demon who killed her, if I 
could only find out who it was ! ” 

I took his hand and comforted him as well as I 
was able. “We will search for the assassin of 
Mazzucata together, Gilbert.” 

MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Discarding the theory that Dallas murdered 
Mazzucata out of sheer jealousy, I firmly believe 
that she met her death at the hands of an emissary 
of some secret society, and that the Black Carna- 
tion was the official notice of her death. My 
reasons are as follows : — 

She was Irish, and therefore likely to be con- 


TEE BLACK CARNATION. 


67 


nected with some organization for the purpose of 
freeing her country. 

She refused to tell Tressinger from whom she 
expected the token of a Black Carnation, and was 
doubtless sworn to secrecy, on that and other 
points. 

She duly received the fatal token and expected 
her death. 

She was killed by an infernal machine, which 
is plainly the method usually employed by secret 
societies. 

The explosion took place in public, so as to 
show all other members of the society that noth- 
ing could protect them from death if they once 
incurred the wrath of their organization. 


68 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


CHAPTER lY. 

IN THE queen’s name. 

My conversation with Gilbert afforded me much 
food for reflection during the next few days, as it 
tended rather to deepen than to solve the mystery 
of Mazzucata’s death. I must own that the episode 
of the Black Carnation seemed to favor the idea 
that she had fallen a victim to the vengeance of a 
secret society. This being the case, as I now 
began to believe, my suspicions regarding the crim- 
inality of Dallas were set at rest, and I sought 
him out with the idea of securing his co-operation 
in hunting down the dastardly assassin who was 
guilty of this wicked crime. 

On calling at his rooms, however, I found that 
he had departed from town for a few days’ rest, 
being, as his valet informed me, quite unnerved 
by the opera house catastrophe. His servant was 
unable to give me further information, so, con- 
siderably disheartened by this unforeseen absence 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


69 


of Dallas, I came away in a very downcast frame 
of mind. 

It was now nearly a week since that tragic oc- 
currence, but up to the present no arrest had been 
made in connection with the crime, and it seemed 
as though the mystery would never be solved. It 
is true that the papers notified the public that 
the police had a clue, which would undoubtedly 
lead to the discovery of the assassin, but the 
papers always make that statement, though, in 
nine cases out of ten, it is quite untrue. Scotland 
Yard, infallible as it deems itself to be, knew 
nothing further than that Mazzucata had been 
killed by the explosion of an infernal machine, 
while the curious episode of the Black Carnation, 
which might have given them a key to the riddle, 
was quite unknown to the authorities. 

As to Gilbert Tressinger, he and I had many 
conversations together about the tragedy, but 
neither of us could come to any satisfactory con- 
clusion, and, indeed, differed considerably in our 
theories on the subject, for while I leaned to the 
opinion that it was the work of a secret society, he 
thought it more likely to be the outcome of some 
circumstance connected with the unknown girl- 
hood of the singer. 


70 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Things were thus at a standstill when I inquired 
for Dallas and found him absent, but not to be 
beaten in this matter, for my detective fever was 
more virulent than ever, I went straight to Gilbert’s 
house in Curzon Street, with the idea of ventilat- 
ing a theory, which I had lately formed concern- 
ing the Black Carnation. 

Gilbert was engaged with some visitor in his 
drawing-room, so I took my seat in the sriioking- 
room, which was very comfortable, and read the 
morning papers. While thus occupied, I heard the 
sound of voices raised in anger, and became aware 
that Gilbert and his visitor were having high words. 
Only a thin wall divided the rooms, and though I 
could not make out what they were fighting about, 
I heard a word here and there which roused my 
curiosity considerably. One of the voices was 
Gilbert’s, the other that of a woman, and it was 
this latter that seemed to be the noisier of the 
two. First imploring, then wrathful, this woman 
seemed to be urging Tressinger to do something 
against his will. That it was connected with the 
opera house crime I knew perfectly well, for I twice 
caught the words “ Black Carnation ” pronounced 
by the woman in a menacing tone of voice. 

At last I heard the door open and knew that the 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


71 


visitor was leaving the house ; so, true to my new 
profession as a detective, I rushed at once to the 
window of the smoking-room, which fortunately 
afforded a view of the street. A few moments after- 
wards, I saw a tall, dark woman, dressed in a bizarre 
red costume, dart out of the house with a frown on 
her face, and walk rapidly away down the street. 
Just as she was turning the corner, I heard Gil- 
bert’s footsteps, so, unwilling to be caught in such 
an undignified situation, I came back to my chair 
and resumed the perusal of the paper, 

Tressinger entered the room, and greeted me in 
an agitated manner, rendered still more emphatic 
by the haggard look on his young face. 

“ What is the matter, Gilbert ? ” I said, as he 
took a seat, “ you seem to be worried over some- 
thing.” 

“ I am worried,” he replied, with a frown. “ I 
have just had a very unpleasant quarter of an 
hour.” 

“ So it would seem, judging from the row you 
were making next door.” 

He looked up quickly. 

“ Did you hear what we were saying ? ” 

“No, saving some reference to the Black Carna- 
tion.” 


72 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Always that infernal flower,” answered Gilbert, 
gloomily; “it is becoming a perfect nightmare.” 

“Well, and what did this woman wish to see 
you about ? ” 

“ How do you know it was a woman ? ” 

“I heard her voice, and I saw her leave the 
house.” 

“You are progressing in the detective business, 
major,” said Tressinger, smiling bitterly. “ Yes, 
you are right ; my interview was with a woman, and 
it concerned Mazzucata’s death.” 

“In what way?” 

Tressinger made no reply, so I sought for infor- 
mation in another way. 

“ What is this woman’s name, Gilbert ? ” 

Still no answer, upon which, feeling somewhat 
nettled at being thus shut out from his confidence, 
I took up my hat and moved towards the door. 

“ Where are you going, major,” he asked quickly, 
seeing my movement. 

“ I am going away, sir,” I replied, in a dignified 
manner, for I own I was angry ; “ you promised to 
let me assist you in this matter, but as you now 
refuse to tell me anything, there is no use my stay- 
ing here.” 

“ Sit down, major, and don’t be angry about noth- 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


73 


ing. I do not refuse to tell you what you wish to 
know, I was only thinking.” 

“ About what ? ” I asked, resuming my seat. 

“ About my future movements. Shall I go 
abroad or stay here ? ” 

I stared at him in some surprise. 

“ Why should you go abroad? ” 

“ I have been warned that I may be arrested.” 

“ Arrested ? ” I cried, jumping to my feet with 
an astonished look, “ and for what ? ” 

“ The murder of Mazzucata.” 

“Nonsense.” 

“ It is true, I assure you. This woman came 
here to warn me.” 

“ But who is this woman ? ” 

“ lima Celinski.” 

“ Humph ! I am as wise as I was before.” 

“ You don’t know her name ? ” he said, curiously. 
“ No, of course not — it is not yet in the papers. 
Well, lima Celineki is a Pole.” 

“ I can tell that much myself.” 

“ And she is — or rather was — the maid of Mazzu- 
cata.” 

“ The maid of Mazzucata — well ? ” 

“ Well ! ” he repeated impatiently, “can’t you 
see the connection.” 


THE BLACK CABNATlON. 


74 


Between this woman and the murder ? No, I’m 
sure I can’t.” 

“ I’m afraid you are not such a good detective as 
I thought, major.” 

“ Oh, by the way,” I said, with a sudden flash 
of memory, “ both you and Dallas referred to 
some woman in connection with the crime ; is 
this the woman ? ” 

“ No. Oh, you are quite wrong.” 

“ How can I help being wrong when I am in 
the dark. For heaven’s sake, Gilbert, stop this 
choppy conversation, and tell me what you mean.” 

“ Willingly. lima Celinski is, or was, the maid 
of Mazzucata, and was more of a companion than 
a servant. She knew more than anyone else 
about Mazzucata, and among other things she 
knew of the warning of the Black Carnation. 
Well, it appears that after the murder of her mis- 
tress she went on to the stage to view the scene of 
the tragedy, and while they picked up the remains 
of a flower which was ” 

“ A Black Carnation ? ” 

“ Precisely. So in that bouquet which contained 
the dynamite cartridge, there must have been a 
Black Carnation and that was the reason Mazzu- 
cata cried out just before she was killed. The 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


75 


first fiower was a warning to her that death was 
coming, the second that death had come — and 
speedily, as you saw.” 

“ I understand. But what has all this to do with 
you? ” 

‘‘ Simply this. That the police think I threw 
the bouquet which contained the Black Carna- 
tion.” 

^ “ Ridiculous. Do you mean to say the police 
think you killed the woman you love ? ” 

“ So lima says, and she came here this morning 
to warn me to fiy.” 

“ And by doing so thus acknowledge your 
guilt.” 

“Well, I am not going to acknowledge my 
guilt either by word or deed. I am innocent of 
the crime.” 

“ My dear Tressinger,” I said, grasping his hand, 
“ you need not tell me that. I know you are inno- 
cent.” 

“ Thank you, major,” he said, warmly, much 
affected, “ I am glad to hear you say so, as I shall 
need all the friends I can get when I am ar- 
rested.” 

“ Will you be arrested ? ” 

“ Assuredly ; and I am going to remain here. 


76 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Flight would acknowledge guilt ; and I am inno- 
cent, so I will remain.” 

“Why is this woman so anxious for you to 
fly?” 

“ She wants to save my life.” 

“ But why ? ” 

Gilbert looked down at the carpet with a flush 
on his face. 

“ Don’t think me conceited, major, but I believe 
she loves me.” 

“ W ell, she is certainly doing you a good turn in 
thus warning you,” I replied, grimly ; “ but tell 
me, Gilbert, if you are arrested what defence will 
you make ? ” 

“ What defence can I make except declare that 
I am innocent. I loved Mazzucata. I threw a 
bouquet to her, but I swear that there was nothing 
harmful in the bouquet.” 

“ Not even a Black Carnation ? ” 

“No. It was a bouquet of white flowers with a 
black rose in the centre, but a rose is not a carna- 
tion.” 

“ Certainly not. Where was the bouquet made 
up?” 

“ At the shop of Phillis & Co., in Jermyn Street.” 

“ Then the flower girls there can give evidence 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


77 


that the bouquet contained nothing but white 
flowers and a black rose.” 

“ Most certainly.” 

“ Phillis & Co. are not likely to go in for Black 
Carnations.” 

“ I should think not. It is an unique flower 
and worth its weight in gold. For the bouquet I 
bought I only paid a guinea, but if there had been 
a Black Carnation in it the price would have been 
treble.” 

“ You say you have seen a Black Carnation.*^ 

“ I have seen the one which Mazzucata re- 
ceived as a warning that she was to die. A perfect 
flower and as black as ink.” 

“ I suppose there are others in existence ? ” 

“ I don’t know, I never heard of any.” 

“ It could not possibly have been your bouquet 
that contained a Black Carnation ? ” 

“ No, I’m certain of that.” 

“Well, the bouquet concealing the cartridge 
had a Black Carnation, so it could not have been 
yours ; and as it was not yours, you are not 
guilty.” 

“ My dear major,” cried Gilbert impatiently, 
“ you are arguing in a circle. I tell you the centre 
flower of my bouquet was a black rose, and I had 


78 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


no more intention of killing Mazzucata than your- 
self.” 

“ I know that, but why should the police suspect 
you ? ” 

“ I am quite in the dark.” 

“ Someone must have seen a Black Carnation, or 
thought they saw one in your bouquet.” 

“What nonsense. How could they see what 
wasn’t there ? Besides, no one saw the bouquet 
but myself.” 

I thought over the matter for a few moments 
and then asked Gilbert a leading question. 

“ Tell me all you did on that night from the 
time you bought the flowers.” 

“I had promised Mazzucata some flowers to 
carry in the opera, and during the day went to 
Phillis & Co., where I ordered a bouquet of white 
blossoms and a black rose in the centre. It did 
not come to my house in time, so on my way to 
Mazzucata I called at the shop and took it from 
there. I held it in my hand all the way to the 
Hotel Europa, where Mazzucata was staying, and 
went upstairs to her rooms. lima, who was there, 
making ready to go to the theatre, told me Mazzucata 
had already gone, so I left the rooms at once and 
went on to Covent Garden.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


79 


“ Did you lay down the bouquet when you were 
in Mazzucata’s rooms ? ” 

“ Yes, for a few minutes ; but no one was in the 
room but lima, and you surely don’t suspect her ? ” 
“ No, certainly not. But in the theatre ? ” 
“Well, I put the bouquet under my stall, and 
then threw it to her on the stage as you saw.” 

“ By the way, you left it there when you went 
out after the second act to have a smoke.” 

“ Of course, but what of that ? ” 

“ Simply this, that the bouquet might have 
been changed while you were away.” 

“ Impossible. In a crowded tlieatre ? ” 

“I don’t know why it should be impossibD. 
Look here ; it is quite improbable that Phillis & 
Co. would make up a bouquet with a dynamite 
cartridge in it.” 

“ Yes, the idea is absurd.” 

“ Well, from the time you left the shop till the 
time you went out to smoke in the theatre after 
the second act, you never lost sight of the bouquet ? ” 
“ No, I didn’t.” 

“ Then it must have been changed in the theatre,” 
I finished, triumphantly. 

“ But who would do such a thing ? ” 

“ The person who killed Mazzucata.” 


80 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ My dear major,” said Gilbert, ironically, “ if 
the person who killed Mazzucata had a bouquet 
of white flowers with a Black Carnation, and a 
dynamite cartridge in the handle, why couldn’t 
he throw it himself — why run the risk of changing 
it for mine ? ” 

“To lessen the risk,” I answered, quietly. 
“ You were well-known to be the lover of Mazzucata, 
and probably that circumstance gained you the 
enmity of someone. Well, supposing out of jeal- 
ousy — or say, as the emissary of a secret society 
— that ‘ someone ’ went to the theatre with the 
Black Carnation bouquet. . He sat directly behind 
you — at least we will suppose for the sake of 
argument that he did — and saw you there — a man 
on intimate relations with the woman he desired 
to kill. Well, in order to save himself the risk 
and make you the innocent instrument of his 
vengeance, what was easier for him than when you 
were away, to bend down in his seat and change 
the bouquets. Thus, when you threw the bouquet, 
it was not yours but his with the Black Carnation.” 

Gilbert turned pale as if he saw an abyss open 
before him. “ Great heavens ! ” he groaned, cover- 
ing his face with his hands, “ if this is so, I am lost. 
But no, it is impossible. Granted, that all took 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


81 


place as you have so ingeniously described, who 
would know that the bouquet I threw had a Black 
Carnation ? ” 

“ Everyone round you.” 

“Pardon me, that cannot be so. For no one 
seeing a dark flower in the centre of a bouquet 
would believe it to be such a monstrosity of nature 
as the Black Carnation. No, if things are as you 
say, the person who changed the bouquets and 
made me the instrument of his vengeance, must 
also have denounced me to the police, thus at one 
blow destroying both Mazzucata and myself.” 

“ That is my theory also,” I answered, delighted 
to see how the case was unfolding itself ; “ but the 
question is, who changed the bouquets ? ” 

“Ah, if we could find that out we could lay our 
hands on the assassin. But after all, this is mere 
theorizing.” 

“ I daresay the police have not much more to 
go on.” 

“ They must have more evidence against me, or 
no magistrate would grant the warrant for arrest.” 

“ But is there a warrant of arrest against you ? ” 

“ I don’t think there is at the present time, but 
lima tells me the police are going to issue one 
shortly.” 


6 


82 


TUE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ How does she know ? ” 

Gilbert shrugged his shoulders. 

“ I’m sure I do not know.” 

A sudden thought struck me and I rose to my 
feet. 

“ Gilbert, I know who denounced you to the 
police.” 

“ Who ? ” 

“ lima Celinski ! ” 

“ Impossible ! she loves me.” 

“ But how does she know of this Black Carna- 
tion business ? If the bouquets were changed in 
the theatre, as I suspect, she must have had infor- 
mation that they were going to be so changed.” 

“ I tell you it’s impossible,” cried Gilbert, much 
agitated, walking up and down. “ lima loves me 
— she came to warn me to fly — she would not do 
that if she had denounced me. Good heavens ! ” 
he added, stopping short with a gesture of despair, 
“ when will all this end ? Against my will I am 
being brought into the aflair — on all sides there is 
perplexity and peril, which I know not how to 
escape. Major, what am I to do ? You are my 
friend, tell me what to do.” 

“ Yes, I will tell you,” I answered, taking his 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


83 


hand. “ I am your friend, so leave the affair in 
my hands and leave England for the present.” 

“ What, fly ! That would be tantamount to a 
confession of guilt.” 

“ If you are in prison you will be suspected all 
the same, and you can do more to aid yourself 
while free. Leave England, and I will see if I can 
discover who it was that changed the bouquets. I 
will see this lima and find out her attitude towards 
you — I will go to Phillis & Co. — I will find out 
where these accursed flowers came from — I will.” 

“Major,” cried Gilbert with a shudder, “hark, 
what is that ? ” 

There was a sharp knock at the door and imme- 
diately afterwards it was thrown open. A man in 
plain clothes and two policemen stood on the 
threshold. 

“ Too late,” cried Tressinger, reeling back 
against the wall, “ it is too late.” 

“ Gilbert Tressinger, I arrest you in the Queen’s 
name,” said the man in plain clothes advancing. 

“ And for what ? ” he asked, with pale lips. 
“ For what crime ? ” 

“ For the murder of Marietta Mazzucata.” 


84 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


CHAPTER V. 

THE EVIDENCE OF THE BLACK CARNATION. 

Needless to say there was great excitement in 
London over the arrest of Gilbert Tressinger. 
The Opera House Tragedy was one of those 
romantic crimes such as the world loves to read 
about. A famous singer ; a handsome, rich and 
titled young man, and a terrible death — it contained 
all the elements of a romance, and you may be 
sure that this romance lost nothing in the telling. 
Things had been rather quiet lately, and the big 
papers were at a loss for material to fill their 
columns and attract their readers, when lo, this 
fantastic tragedy took place and became the sen- 
sation of the day. Reporters sharpened their 
pencils and their wits, editors heaved sighs of 
relief at the prospect of inserting attractive 
matter in their empty columns, and all the world 
of Whitechapel, Belgravia, and respectable Brix- 
ton gaped hungrily for news concerning the guilt 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


85 


of this — as they thought — past lover, present 
murderer, and future felon. 

For myself, the arrest of my poor young friend 
had taken me completely by surprise, but I never 
for a moment thought him guilty of the monstrous 
crime laid to his charge. He had laid bare his 
heart before me, he had described the occupations 
of the minute in due order before the occurrence 
of the tragedy, therefore, in my own mind I was 
quite positive that whosoever was guilty, Gilbert 
at least was innocent. The committal of a crime 
presupposes a motive ; but from all I knew, saw 
and heard, Tressinger had absolutely no motive 
which could make him kill the woman he loved, 
and bring himself within the grasp of the long 
arm of the law. 

The young baronet was a great favorite in the 
world of society, and both in clubs and drawing- 
rooms his friends and acquaintances declined to 
believe in his guilt. All the sympathies of the 
upper ten thousand were with this representative 
of their order who was accused of committing a 
foul crime ; but the radical section of the public, 
the middle class, the religious multitude, and the 
mob of the slums, all believed the poor fellow 
guilty, even before he had been tried. He was a 


86 THE BLACK CABNATION. 

gentleman, a baronet, a wealthy man, and that 
was quite enough reason for those who hated the 
upper classes to rejoice over the downfall of a 
prominent member of the same. As to the re- 
ligious folks, they roundly asserted that the com- 
mittal of the crime was only the logical outcome 
of the iniquitous life which Tressinger had been 
leading — for iniquitous they said it was, simply 
because his name had been coupled with that of 
Mazzucata. No good could come out of Nazareth, 
according to these bigots, and the junction of a 
singing woman and a fast young man was quite 
enough to account for all kinds of enormities. 

Thus did the one half of the world defend 
Gilbert, while the other condemned him, and 
between these two great divisions many violent 
arguments took place both in favor and against 
the accused. Naturally enough as the man had 
not been tried, and the public at large were ignorant 
of the evidence in the hands of the police, neither 
party was able to settle the argument in a satis- 
factory manner, therefore, the preliminary inquiry 
before the magistrate was looked forward to with 
the utmost impatience by everyone. 

I foolishly thought that when Dallas heard of 
the arrest of his rival he would at once come back to 


THE BLACK CABKATION. 


87 


town, but as day after day passed and he did not 
return, I began to have a very bad opinion of the 
young man for such ungenerous conduct. From 
his remarks about the Black Carnation which had 
led me to invite the confidence of Tressinger, it 
was evident that he knew something of the affair, 
and if his evidence in any way tended to exculpate 
Gilbert, it was a shameful thing of him to hold 
back, when such evidence might free the un- 
fortunate young man from this terrible charge. 

As it was, however, I did my best to enlist sym- 
pathy on all sides for my young friend, and also 
visited him frequently in prison, much to his com- 
fort. Owing to the strong expressions of public 
opinion, particularly that of the lower classes, the 
magistrates refused bail, so poor Tressinger had 
to remain in prison, a prey to a hundred fears 
while waiting for his preliminary trial. 

He was much downcast, as was only natural, as 
he saw himself environed on all sides by perils, 
and his enemies being unknown he did not know 
where they would strike next. His liberty was 
already gone, so perhaps he would lose his life next ; 
for if it were proved that he had thrown the fatal 
bouquet, no denial on his part would hold good 
against such damnatory evidence. The worst of 


88 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


it was that he could do nothing but deny, as, sav- 
ing Phillis & Co., he had no witnesses to prove 
that the bouquet he had thrown was a harmless 
one. 

The only hope I had of saving him was in find- 
ing out who had denounced him to the police, and 
then, searching into that person’s past life, as 
whoever knew that the bouquet contained a 
Black Carnation must undoubtedly know who had 
committed the crime — and may perhaps himself 
have been the person who had changed the bou- 
quets and thus indirectly killed Mazzucata. 

With Gilbert’s consent, I engaged a good firm 
of solicitors to take up his defence, and they in 
their turn gave the affair into the hands of Mark 
Tailored, a rising young barrister, who had already 
distinguished himself greatly in criminal cases. 
Tancred heard all that was to be said on the sub- 
ject and shook his head doubtfully over the mat- 
ter. 

“ I’m afraid he’ll be committed for trial,” he 
said at length, “ as he has at present no defence. 
Before the trial comes off, however, we must go 
to work and find out the real assassin.” 

“ It seems impossible.” 

“ At present it does. But reflect. Major Granby, 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


89 


Here is a Black Carnation — there is a gallows — a 
chain runs between these two, but after hearing 
all you have told me, I am sure that Sir Gilbert 
won’t be bound by that chain. .No; we will do 
our best now, but if Tressinger is committed for 
trial, then we must go to work in earnest.” 

“ Yes, but the first step ? ” 

“ Will be to find the garden which contains the 
Black Carnation.” 

It seemed but a slender hope, still this conversa- 
tion cheered my heart and also that of Gilbert, to 
whom I repeated it, so when the day of the pre- 
liminary examination came off, both of us were 
much more hopeful regarding the final outcome 
of the case than we had hitherto been. 

Nowadays a criminal case is looked upon by the 
public in much the same light as a successful play, 
with this difference, that while the last is fictitious, 
the first is real, and attracts an audience for the 
same reason as did the gladiatorial shows of an- 
cient Rome. What representation on the stage 
can compare with a drama of real life, in which 
the ideal villain is supplanted by an actual mur- 
derer, who is being tried for his crime, and who 
will perchance suffer the extreme penalty of the 
law. In the Roman circus, the ideal Orpheus was 


90 


THE B LA CK CA JLs A ; 7 O A. 

actually torn to pieces by the bears ; in the English 
law courts, the real murderer is fighting inch by 
inch for his life. You say, that the thirst for 
blood has died out in these latter days, that the 
refined population of the nineteenth century shud- 
ders at the idea of gloating over the death-agonies 
of a fellow creature. Pshaw ! I tell you it is not 
so. We have simply transferred the drama of 
blood, from circus to law court, and substituted 
worrying lawyers for wild beasts, but the principal 
actor is the same now as then — a man fighting for 
his life. 

To this realistic drama, therefore, came the jaded 
Londoners, to see Gilbert’s struggles with the octo- 
pus of the law, which would, if it could, squeeze 
him to death. From Belgravia came refined ladies, 
his intimate friends, who would not kill a fly ; from 
St. James’ Street came those who had shaken 
hands with him a week previous, but would not 
do so now, despite their protestations that they 
believed him innocent ; from the city came opulent 
stockbrokers, eager for a new sensation ; from the 
Strand came actors, actresses and singers, to see 
the man who — they thought — had killed a sister 
of their craft ; all these various people crowded 
the narrow precincts of the court, to stare at the 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


91 


pale young fellow who stood in the dock with a 
terrible charge hanging over his head. 

Outside the court thronged Whitechapel roughs ; 
slatternly women from the purlieus of Drury Lane ; 
drunkards torn for the nonce from their beloved 
tap-room 3 by a stronger attraction than that of 
drink ; and all the idle vagabond population of the 
town who have nothing better to do. All these 
discussed the case without, as the more refined 
portion of humanity stared at the prisoner within, 
and the opinions of both leaned in the direction of 
guilt, of condemnation, of hanging. 

When the principal witness for the prosecution 
appeared, I was astonished, for it was a woman ; 
when she threw back her veil, I was stunned — it 
was lima Celinski. Yes, the woman who pro- 
fessed to love Tressinger, who had gone to Curzon 
Street to warn him, was the chief witness against 
him, and on her evidence hung the balance of his 
fate ; liberty or prison, guilt or innocence, life or 
death. I was thunderstruck when she appeared, 
and glanced towards Gilbert, who was evidently 
as much amazed as myself. 

“ Wliat does it mean ? ” I whispered to Tancred, 
by whom I was seated. 

■ “ I think I know,” he replied, in the same tone. 


92 


rUE BLACK CABNATION, 


“ but I shall be more certain when I hear her 
evidence.” 

She was a handsome woman in a bold insolent 
way, with large black eyes, black hair and a 
voluptuous red mouth, speaking excellent English 
with a slight foreign accent, which added piquancy 
to her speech. She gave her evidence in a cool 
and collected manner, but I noticed that all the 
time she kept her eyes on the lawyers, and never 
once glanced in the direction of the reproachful 
face of the prisoner. Tancred noticed this also, 
and I saw him imperceptibly smile as he wrote 
something on a scrap of paper and passed it on to 
me. I glanced at it and read as follows : — 

“I thought I knew, now I do know.” 

What did he know. I was puzzled to answer ; 
but without doubt Tancred, learned in the sub- 
tleties of the law, had discovered some clue which 
had hitherto escaped my less experienced wits, I 
should have liked to ask for an explanation, but 
at this moment lima Celinski began to give her 
evidence, of which I here give a condensed report. 

“My name is lima Celinski, I was born in 
Warsaw and am a Pole by nationality. For the 
last four years I have been lady’s maid to Madame 
Mazzucata, and was with her on the night of her 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


93 


death. She was a very good mistress to me, and I 
was more her companion than her servant, being 
quite in her confidence. I know nothing about 
her past life before she became a singer, as she was 
very reticent on that point.*’ 

Here, the witness gave many unimportant details 
which did not apply to the case, and afterwards 
proceeded as follows : — 

“ In Italy some eighteen months ago, madame 
was much in love with a M. Dallas who desired to 
marry her. As he wished her to give up the stage 
she refused to do so at first, but ultimately promised 
to marry him when he returned from the East, 
where he was then going. When M. Dallas left, 
madame went to fulfil an engagement in Vienna ; 
afterwards, in course of time she came to Paris, 
and there met with Sir Gilbert who was much in 
love with her. He also wished to marry her, but 
madame, mindful of her promise to M. Dallas re- 
fused to marry him.” 

I saw Gilbert start at this last piece of evidence, 
and with an indignant flush on his face would 
have spoken but that Tancred made a sign to him 
to remain silent. 

“ Sir Gilbert,” resumed the witness, “ was so 
much enamored of madame that he said he would 


94 


THE BLACK CAENATION. 


sooner see her dead than married to M. Dallas, at 
which remark madame laughed, treating it as a 
jest. When madame came to England, just before 
the beginning of the opera season, she received a 
letter from M. Dallas saying he was returning to 
London to marry her, and Sir Gilbert finding this 
out had a violent scene with madame, which en- 
raged her very much, and she forbade him to come 
near her.” 

“ What falsehoods,” cried the prisoner, upon 
which the \vitness shuddered. 

“ Silence,” said the magistrate, severely, “ you 
must not interrupt the witness.” 

Gilbert would have spoken again in spite of this 
order, when Tancred hurriedly arose from his seat 
and crossed over to the dock. 

“ Be silent,” he whispered, eagerly, “ let her go 
on. All this lying evidence means more than you 
think.” 

lima Celinski, at this point, without displaying 
any emotion, resumed her evidence. 

“ Madame was a very practical woman, but had 
one superstition connected with a Black Carnation. 
She often told me that she would die a violent 
death, and that she would receive a warning in 
the shape of a Black Carnation. After Sir Gilbert 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


95 


had been forbidden the house, she received a Black 
Carnation.” (^Sensation). 

Counsel for the Prosecution : “ From Sir 
Gilbert ? ” 

Witness : “ I do not know.” 

Counsel : “ Was Sir Gilbert aware of Madame 
Mazzucata’s superstition regarding the Black Car- 
nation ? ” 

Witness : “ Yes, she had often talked about it 
to him.” 

Counsel : “ When she received this token, did 
she make any remark ? ” 

Witness : “ She cried out ‘ Gilbert.’ ” (^Sensa- 
tion). 

Counsel : “ Meaning, I presume, that the pris- 
oner had sent the flower ? ” 

Witness : “ That was my belief, but she refused 
to say anything more.” 

Counsel : “ And what did she do with the 
flower ? ” 

Witness: “ She placed it in a glass of water 
on the table, and said to me, ‘ I have my death 
before me.’ ” 

Counsel : “ When did all this take place ? ” 

Witness : “ About four days before the first 
night of the opera ; just after madame arrived 
in England,” 


96 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Counsel ; “ Had Sir Gilbert then been forbid- 
den the house ? ” 

Witness : “ Yes, the Black Carnation arrived 
just after the quarrel between madame and Sir 
Gilbert about the letter of M. Dallas, when he 
went away saying he would sooner see her dead 
than married to Dallas.” 

I was near Gilbert and overheard him murmur to 
himself, “ My God ! what falsehoods. What does 
it mean ? ” 

“ On the first night of the opera,” resumed lima, 
calmly, “ which was the night upon which madame 
was killed. Sir Gilbert came to the hotel. After 
madame had forbidden him to see her, he had gone 
to Paris, but on the previous day he had returned, 
and wrote to her asking her to see him.” 

The letter produced and read in court was as 
follows : — 

“ CuRzoN Street, 

“ Ibth May., 1890. 

“ Dear Madam, 

“ I must see you. If not, it will be the 
worse for yourself. I know all about Dallas ; he 
comes back to-morrow. What of the Black Car- 
nation ? 

“ Yours in haste, 

“ G. T.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


97 


The reading of this short note produced a pro- 
found sensation, and seemed to many to confirm 
the guilt of the unhappy young man, as it con- 
tained a distinct threat, an allusion to the Black 
Carnation, and the name of Dallas. I own, my 
belief in Gilbert’s innocence was for the moment 
shaken, but when I glanced at him, and saw how 
open was his look, how calm his demeanor, I 
repented of even the momentary treachery to my 
friend. As for Tancred, he merely smiled when 
the letter was read, and looked steadily at lima, 
who, catching his penetrating gaze, looked con- 
siderably discomposed. In a short time, however, 
she recovered her nerve, and went on calmly with 
her evidence. 

“On receiving this note, madame was much 
agitated, and wrote to Sir Gilbert, saying, he could 
come the next night before she went to the theatre. 
He came just after she went, and I was left behind 
to look after some things which I was to take to 
the theatre later on. I saw Sir Gilbert in the 
sitting-room — he had a large bouquet of white 
flowers with a dark one in the centre, and said he 
wished to give them to madame. I said madame 
had gone, but if he would give me the flowers, I 
would take them to the dressing-room at the 

7 


98 THE BLA CK CARNA TIOH. 

theatre when I went down. He refused to let me 
do this, and said he would let no one but madame 
take the flowers, as they were -meant especially for 
her.” 

A thrill of horror ran through the court at this 
last speech, for all present firmly believed that 
this was the fatal bouquet, and this piece of 
evidence regarding Gilbert’s refusal to give them 
to anyone but the dead woman was regarded as an 
additional sign of his guilt. 

“ I had to go into the next room,” continued 
the witness, after a pause, “ and as I went I heard 
Sir Gilbert murmur, ‘ I must let her know it comes 
from me.’ The door of the next room — a bedroom 
— was open, and there was a mirror on the opposite 
wall which gave a partial view of the sitting-room. 
While looking in this, I saw Sir Gilbert take the 
Black Carnation out of the glass on the table and 
place it in the bouquet. When I came back to 
the sitting-room he was gone.” 

This evidence was dead against the prisoner, as 
all present knew that the fatal bouquet had con- 
tained a Black Carnation, and this then was the 
mode in which it was obtained. lima then took a 
drink of water and went on weaving the rope she 
desired to put round the neck of the prisoner. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


99 


“ When I got to the theatre, I told madame all 
about Sir Gilbert’s visit and the Black Carnation. 
She said to me that she did not care for that night 
at least, as he could not hurt her on the stage. 
During the opera, I was down each act at the side 
wings in accordance with madame’s instructions. 
When she was given the bouquet after the third act, 
by M. Ivan, I heard her cry, and knew that the 
bouquet she held contained the Black Carnation. 
After that, the explosion took place, and the 
bouquet was blown to pieces, but afterwards, I 
went on to the stage and found this.” 

“ This” proved to be a faded Black Carnation, 
which was handed up to the magistrate and ex- 
amined by him with considerable curiosity. After- 
wards, lima Celinski stepped down from the wit- 
ness-box and left the court, having given evidence 
enough to have hanged a dozen men, let alone one. 
At least, such was my humble opinion, but not 
Tancred’s. 

“ What do you think now ? ” I asked, bending 
over to him. 

“ I think I’ve got a clue to the assassin,” he an- 
swered, in a whisper ; “ hush. I’ll tell you all when 
the case is over.” 

There were several other wit^' 


100 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


evidence was comparatively unimportant, saving 
that of Signor Ivan, who deposed having handed 
to Mazzucata a bouquet of white flowers, with a 
dark one in the centre. 

When all the evidence for the prosecution was 
ended, Tancred walked over to Gilbert, and had a 
short conversation with him, the upshot of which 
was, that the prisoner reserved his defence. 

The speech of the magistrate was dead against 
Gilbert, as indeed was the weight of public opin- 
ion, and he was duly committed for trial at the next 
Bailey sessions. After this, he was removed in cus- 
tody, bail being refused, though several of his 
friends, myself included, offered security. The 
court gradually emptied of its throng, all discuss- 
ing the case eagerly, and the reporters, who had 
been taking notes, hurried off to their different 
offices. I went with Tancred to see my poor 
friend, but only the lawyer was admitted and I 
was left to cool my heels outside, which treatment 
I resented very much indeed. 

As it was I had plenty to think about, and had 
just come to the conclusion that things looked very 
black for Gilbert, when Tancred came out again 
'^nth a cheerful smile on his face. I must say that 
r disgusted me, considering the 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


101 


position of our friend, but lawyers have no hearts, 
and would hang their own fathers for six and 
eight pence. Perhaps this is a strong expression, 
but I have some money in Chancery which I can- 
not get out, so that will doubtless explain why I 
am so severe on the brethren of the long robe. 

“Well,” said I to Tancred, in an annoyed tone, 
“ what are you rubbing your hands together for? ” 

“ Because I see a gleam of light,” he answered 
gayly, as we took our seats in a hansom. 

“ It’s more than I do.” 

“ What, did you not hear the evidence of lima 
Celinski.” 

“ Yes, but that seemed to me to be bad for Tres- 
singer.” 

“Not a bit of it,” answered Tancred, quickly; 
“why, it is the best thing that could have hap- 
pened. I can see through their little game.” 

“ Whose little game ? ” 

“ Mademoiselle Celinski’s and her friend.” 

“ And her friend,” I echoed, in surprise. “ Who 
is her friend ? ” 

“ That is exactly what I want to find out,” he 
said, dryly, “ all that evidence she gave was not 
her own invention, but that of a man of whose 
name at present I am ignorant.” 


102 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ And this man is the assassin ? ” 

“ Yes, I believe he is.” 

“ What does Tressinger say ? ” 

“ He says nothing, because he is quite bewildered 
by the lies of the little viper.” 

“ I don’t wonder at that,” said I, sourly, ‘‘ he 
thought she loved him.” 

“ Bah ! ” cried Tancred with derision, “ she doesn’t 
love him a bit — but she loves the other man.” 

“ You have no idea who the other man can be?” 

“ No, but I’ll know to-morrow after I have seen 
my client again.” 

“ Tancred,” I remarked, after a pause, “ I think 
I can tell you the name of the other man.” 

“The deuce, you can? ” 

“ Dallas. Lawrence Dallas.” 

Tancred whistled thoughtfully, but made no 
reply. 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


103 


CHAPTER VL 

A SERIOUS DISCUSSION. 

The next day, according to my promise, I went 
with Tancred to see Tressinger, in order to talk 
over the position of affairs, which did not look 
flourishing for our poor friend. A very black aspect 
had been put on his conduct, owing to the extraor- 
dinary evidence of lima Celinski, who, for some 
reason best known to herself, had turned traitress. 
In truth, her conduct was most peculiar, savoring 
greatly of caprice, as having at first attempted to 
save. — if not his life — at least his liberty by warn- 
ing him to fly, she had gone to the other extreme 
and done her best to convict him of the crime. I 
call it caprice, but it was, doubtless, more than 
that, as no woman would play such a dangerous 
game without some strong motive. I suspected 
that the motive was a man, and that the man was 
Dallas, hut waited to hear Tressinger’s opinion, 


104 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


before committing myself wholly to this view of 
the case. 

Tancred was deeply interested in the affair, the 
more so on account of its difficulty, as there was 
nothing he liked better than to unravel one of 
those enigmas so frequently offered to the world 
by the criminal classes. Talk about the difficulty 
of putting together a Chinese puzzle ; it is as noth- 
ing compared with the task of weaving the rope 
out of his own actions to encircle the neck of a 
criminal. As a stone at the source may determine 
the direction of a mighty stream, so the slightest 
step in the wrong direction on the part of a detec- 
tive, may lead him further away from the solution 
of the problem, and it is only by patient observa- 
tion, deep thought, and the inspiration of the 
moment, that a definite conclusion can be reached. 
A criminal case is made up of little actions, as a 
mosaic is formed of tiny stones ; but the latter 
makes a picture, the former builds a gallows. 

“ I have been mixed up with one or two queer 
cases,” said Tancred, as we drove to the prison, 
“ but this is the strangest which has come within 
my experience. If it were the plot of a novel, the 
omnipotent detective, who only exists in fiction, 
would find out all about it without the slightest 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


105 


difficulty ; but as it is an episode of real life, we 
lack the assistance of the omnipotent Lecoq, and 
must do our best to solve the mystery alone.” 

“ Do you think we shall succeed ? ” I asked, 
doubtfully, for things looked anything but promis- 
ing. 

‘‘ I cannot say,” replied Tancred, shrugging his 
shoulders, “ at present we are entirely in the dark, 
and the only gleam of light I can see is the lying 
evidence of that woman.” 

“ Lying evidence ? ” 

“ My dear sir, you surely didn’t think she was 
speaking the truth. Why, the whole story was 
most carefully prepared to blacken our friend’s 
character, and had I cross-examined the witness, 
I could have shown the falsity of several state- 
ments.” 

“ Well, and why did you not do so ? ” 

“ Because I was not quite sure of my ground. 
Now I know the line taken by the prosecution I 
will go to work and get up a defence. As I told 
you yesterday, I believe there is a man behind this 
girl, who put the story into her mouth. A man 
who hates Tressinger.” 

“ Dallas hates him like poison.” 

“The deuce he does. Yes, I remember your 


106 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


suggestion, and there may be something in it. 
After we have seen Tressinger, we might call on 
this Mr. Dallas in a friendly way, and see what 
position he takes up in reference to our friend.” 

“ But Dallas is out of town.” 

“ Out of town,” repeated Tancred, thoughtfully, 
“ I don’t like that.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” 

“ Simply this, that if Dallas is, as you suspect, 
the man behind this lima Celinski, he would have 
stayed in town to direct operations. His going 
away at such a critical time, argues that he has 
not much interest in the case.” 

“ ril never believe that, never ! ” I said, emphat- 
ically, “ he loved the dead woman too much, not 
to be deeply interested in the tragedy of her fate.” 

“Well,” said Tancred, philosophically, as the 
cab stopped at the prison door, “ we will discuss 
the matter with Tressinger, and after hearing his 
opinion, may find ourselves in a better position 
regarding how to proceed.” 

Gilbert was much relieved to see us, as judging 
from his haggard face, the poor lad had been suf- 
fering terribly since his arrest. The death of Maz- 
zucata had been a terrible blow, but as misfortunes 
never come singly, hardly had he realized that 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


107 


the woman he loved was dead, when to add to his 
misery he was arrested on the charge of being 
her assassin. While yet suffering from the effects 
of this second blow, a third had fallen on him in 
the shape of lima Celinski’s evidence, which took 
him completely by surprise. Up to the time of 
Mazzucata’s death he was unaware he possessed 
enemies, but after these three blows which had 
fallen in regular succession, he could not but see 
that he had some powerful and unseen enemies 
who were determined to destroy him. They had 
deprived him of his beloved, they had deprived 
him of his liberty, and now it seemed as though 
they were determined to crown their iniquity by 
depriving him of his life. 

Every since his arrest, Gilbert had been vainly 
racking his brains in the attempt to find out the 
meaning of these terrible misfortunes which were 
crushing him to the earth. He was quite sure he had 
never injured any person, yet these unknown per- 
sons whose machinations had hitherto been success- 
ful, evidently harbored some grudge against him. 
Convinced of his innocence, he could not believe 
that his life was in peril, yet, after the damning 
evidence of lima Celinski, he saw plainly that he 
was in a dangerous position. Innocent men have 


108 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


suffered for less, and at the present juncture of 
affairs, it seemed as though nothing could save him 
from the gallows. 

Thus environed on all sides by doubts, difficul- 
ties and dangers, he greatly felt the want of some 
one with whom to discuss the matter, and was 
therefore much relieved in his mind when we came 
to help him in his hour of need. Indeed, he was 
so overcome that he could not utter a word, but 
warmly clasped our hands, while we, in order to 
give him time to recover himself, took our seats 
silently in his cell and waited for , him to 
speak. 

“ I am very glad to see you, major,” he mur- 
mured, at length, “ and you also, Mr. Tancred. I 
have been thinking ” 

“ Precisely, and it is your thoughts w6 wish to 
know,” interrupted Tancred, cheerfully. “You 
have, I presume, some suspicions as to the person or 
persons to whom you owe your present position ? ” 

Tressinger made a gesture of despair. 

“ I have no suspicions,” he cried, bitterly. “ I 
do not know what it all means. I am completely 
in the dark.” 

“ So are we all,” I observed, slowly ; “ still, both 
Tancred and myself have certain ideas.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


109 


“Pardon ; ” said Tancred, lifting his hand, “do 
not say anything at present, Major Granby. I 
wish to ask Sir Gilbert some questions if he will 
answer them.” He accompanied this speech with 
such a significant glance, that Gilbert was taken 
by surprise. 

“ Of course I will answer them,” he said, in an 
astonished tone ; “ I have no reason to keep back 
anything.” 

“ Humph ! ” said Tancred, apparently only half 
convinced. “Well, we shall see. Now, tell me. 
Sir Gilbert, what is your opiidon of Mademoiselle 
Celinski’s evidence ? ” 

“ My opinion is that it is a pack of lies,” re- 
torted Tressinger, with an angry frown. “ I don’t 
understand the reason of such falsehoods.” 

“ Then her evidence is not true ? ” 

“ Not one word of it.” 

“ Good. I thought as much, and would now 
like to hear your version of the story.” 

“That is simple enough. Mazzucata certainly 
met Dallas in Italy, and he wished to marry her, 
but she point-blank refused to have anything to do 
with him. There was no question of the matter 
remaining in abeyance until he returned from the 
East. As to my having quarrelled with her, that 


no 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


is distinctly false — we never had a single disagree- 
ment.” 

“ And yet you were forbidden the house — or 
rather the hotel.” 

“ That also is false, and I can explain it all. I, 
as you know, came to England with Mazzucata, 
and two days after we arrived she received the 
token of the Black Carnation. It came from 
Paris.” 

“ From Paris ? ” we both exclaimed, in astonish- 
ment. 

“Yes, it had apparently been pressed between 
the leaves of a book and was afterwards sent to 
England in an envelope. That envelope had a 
French stamp and the Paris postmark.” 

“ Worse and worse,” muttered Tancred, thought- 
fully, “ the foreign element is coming in now. 
We may chance to find the murderer in England, 
but if we have to search the Continent, I’m afraid 
it will be difficult.” 

“ But supposing the person who sent the Black 
Carnation is in England,” I suggested, pointedly. 

“ You are thinking of Dallas ? ” 

“ Yes, he was in Paris for some time before he 
came to England, and only returned on the night 
of the tragedy.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Ill 


“ What has Dallas got to do with this ? ” asked 
Gilbert, curiously. 

“ I will tell you later on,” replied Tancred, 
quickly, before I could speak ; “ meanwhile, please 
continue your story.” 

“ There is not much to tell. When Mazzucata 
received the flower, she was in a terrible state of 
mind, and asked me to go to Paris in order to find 
out, if possible, who posted the letter.” 

“ An impossibility.” 

“ So I found. However, I did my best, and 
failed. I only got back to town in time for Maz- 
zucata’s dShut., so that is the reason I was not at 
the Hotel Europa for a few days. lima says I was 
forbidden to call — I say, I was in Paris, and can 
prove it by the evidence of my valet.” 

“ Good,” said Tancred, in a satisfied tone, “ that 
disposes of a certain portion of the evidence. And 
as to your putting the Black Carnation in the bou- 
quet?” 

“ That also is false. I went up to Mazzucata’s 
room.? and found lima there, but when she told me 
her mistress had gone to the theatre, I left at once. 
While I was there I never saw the Black Carna- 


tion.” 


112 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Did you lay down the bouquet while you were 
there ? ’’ 

“ For a few moments, yes. There was some 
coffee in the room, and I drank a cup.” 

“Was lima in the room when you laid down 
the bouquet and drank the coffee ? ” 

“ Yes, why do you ask ? ” 

“ Because she might have changed the bouquet 
when your back was turned. You brought to the 
hotel an innocent bunch of flowers with a black 
rose — you left it with an infernal machine con- 
cealed in a bouquet, with a Black Carnation.” 

“ Impossible ! ” 

“ I think so too,” I said, gravely, “ Gilbert 
would have noticed the substitution of a Black 
Carnation for a black rose.” 

“ By no means. He was preoccupied, and would 
pay but little attention to the flower.” 

“ That is true,” said Gilbert, quickly, “ I never 
even glanced at the flowers — at least not closely.” 

“Well, then — ^black rose — Black Carnation — it 
was easy to make a mistake. Yes, believe me. Sir 
Gilbert, my supposition is correct — those flowers 
were changed by lima Celinski, when your back 
was turned.” 

“ But why should lima have done such a thing. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


113 


Why should she want to kill a kind noiistress and 
ruin me ? ” 

“ That’s what we have to find out,” said Tan- 
cred, cheerfully, “ my own impression is, that she 
was the tool of another person.” 

“ DaUas ? ” 

“ Perhaps, we are not certain of that.” 

“ I don’t follow you at all,” cried Gilbert, in 
perplexity, “ why should Dallas wish to kill Maz- 
zucata ? ” 

“ Because she loved you and he loved her.” 

“ I myself heard him say he would kill her if 
she married anyone hut him,” I explained at this 
moment. 

“ Then that supplies the motive. Dallas came 
hack from the East more in love than ever, and 
while in Paris, heard that Tressinger was to be 
married to Mazzucata. Knowing her superstition, 
he sent the Black Carnation in order to work on 
her fears. As that did no good he determined to 
kill her, and, therefore, determined to do so by 
means of that devilish bouquet, which lima sub- 
stituted for your own.” 

“ My dear Tancred,” said Gilbert, in a tone of 
raillery, “ you have built up an excellent case all 

out of nothing. Let us grant, for the sake of 

8 


114 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


argument, that Dallas intended to kill my poor 
Marietta — that he sent the Black Carnation from 
Paris, but then he did not arrive from Paris till 
the night of her dehut^ so how could he have 
known that I intended to throw a bouquet of flowers, 
— how could he know that such a bouquet would 
consist of white flowers with a black rose in the 
centre — how could he know I would call on Maz- 
zucata before the performance with such bouquet, 
and lastly, how could he have induced lima to 
change the flowers, and for what reason ? ” 

“ Your objections are very just — on the face of 
them,” replied Tancred, good-humoredly, “ but I 
think I can answer them. In the first place, I do 
not believe the story of Dallas as to his only arriv- 
ing in London on the night of the dShut, He was 
in London for many days.” 

“ In that case, how could he have sent the Black 
Carnation from Paris ? ” 

“Well, if you had time to go to Paris before 
Mazzucata’s dehut in search of the sender, he 
certainly had time to come to London and find out 
all about your movements.” 

“ Well, granted that he did come to London as 
you suggest; what about the rest of my objec- 
tions ? ” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


115 


“On the flowers? Well, you doubtless sent 
Mazzucata flowers every day ? ” 

“ Yes. Women are fond of such attentions.” 

“ Exactly, and Dallas knew that women are fond 
of such attentions. You, doubtless, always ordered 
these flowers at the same florists ? ” 

“ Phillis & Co., Jermyn Street. Yes.” 

“ Dallas would not have much difficulty in find- 
ing that out either. Well, on the day of the 
dihut he discovered that a bouquet of white flowers 
with a dark centre was being prepared by your 
order for Mazzucata. He, therefore, ordered a 
duplicate.” 

“ But for what reason ? ” 

“ Because he wanted to kill two birds with one 
stone — in plain English, he wished to murder Maz- 
zucata and then hang you for the murder.” 

“Well, go on.” 

“ When he got his bouquet, he took it home and 
inserted the dynamite cartridge, and also removing 
the black rose, placed therein a Black Carnation.” 

“ So far so good ; but all supposition.” 

“ Never mind ; it’s feasible at all events. Now, 
the next thing he had to do was to deliver this 
bouquet to Mazzucata, and for that purpose went 
to her hotel. He did not mean to kill her at the 


116 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


theatre, but at her rooms. When he arrived there, 
he found Mazzucata had left for the theatre, and 
only lima was present. While talking to her they 
heard your voice, and Dallas concealed himself.” 

“ Do you mean to say Dallas was in the room 
at the same time as myself,” cried Gilbert disbeliev- 

ingly- 

“ I say that he was in the next room. He saw 
you lay down the bouquet and turn your back on it, 
in order to drink the coffee. Then the idea oc- 
curred to him of changing the bouquets, a little 
task which lima performed at his bidding ; so at 
the theatre you threw the bouquet of Dallas and 
he threw yours.” 

“ But why should lima do this ? ” 

“ Why do women do many things ? ” asked Tan- 
cred, ironically ; “ because she loved him.” 

“ Loved Dallas ! oh, nonsense.” 

“ I don’t see why you should say that. Dallas 
is not a bad-looking fellow, and doubtless promised 
to marry lima if she did as he wished.” 

“ All this is supposition ; but supposing it to be 
true, why should lima come and warn me to fly ? ” 

“ Because she felt compunction at the idea of 
condemning an innocent man to the gallows. As 
you refused to take her hint, however, she let 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


117 


you go on blindly to your fate. All those lies in 
the witness-box were not hers, but invented by 
Dallas.” 

“ I cannot — I will not believe it,” cried Gilbert, 
walking excitedly up and down. 

“ Well, we will try and prove it to you,” said 
Tancred, rising to his feet. “ Major, can you find 
out anything about the movements of your friend, 
Mr. Dallas?” 

“ Don’t call him my friend,” said I, angrily, “as 
to finding out about Dallas, yes. My man Poin- 
ter knows his valet, so I have no doubt, if I tell 
Pointer what I wish to know, he will find out all 
about it.” 

“ Good ; do that and I am sure you will find that 
I am right.” 

“ There is one thing you have overlooked,” said 
Gilbert, after a pause, “ where did Dallas obtain 
the Black Carnation ? ” 

“ Ah ! that is the question. However, I have 
no doubt we will find that out also.” 

“ In what way ? ” 

“ By means of the flower itself. If it had been 
a red carnation, or a yellow one, I would have been 
in despair, but a Black Carnation — to use an 
Irishism — is a rara avis. The gardener who has 


118 


THE BLACK CAENATION. 


been lucky enough to have discovered how to grow 
a black flower is a celebrated person in horticultural 
circles, so all I have to do is to make inquiries — say 
at the shop of Phillis & Co., in order to find out 
where this man lives. Then I will go to him and 
ask to see his famous plant — find out if he has sold 
any buds, or slips for setting — if so, discover to 
whom he sold them, and then, once the purchaser 
is discovered, the murderer won’t be far off.” 

“ There is another thing you must find out,” 
said Gilbert, as Tancred was about to go, “ what 
connection Mazzucata has with the Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“ Oh, now you open up another romance,” 
replied Tancred, in a perplexed tone ; “ the com- 
plications are bad enough now, so let us solve the 
problems we have in hand before we look for new 
ones. Good-bye, Sir Gilbert, when I see you again 
I shall know all about the Black Carnation.” 

MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NUMEE, THREE. 

I do not at all agree with Tancred’s idea regard- 
ing Dallas, for I feel sure he is innocent, and, 
besides, has not enough brains to conceive and 


TBE BLACK CABNATION. 


119 


execute such a difficult task. My belief is, that 
lima Celinski killed her mistress out of jealousy, 
and for the following reasons : — 

She is in love with Dallas, who adored her 
mistress ; and to destroy her rival invented that 
devilish bouquet. 

She managed to get Gilbert to innocently throw 
it, in order to avert suspicion from herself. 

She gives false evidence in the box in order to 
hang Gilbert, so as to be safe. 

From a feeling of compunction she warned Gil- 
bert to fly, knowing such flight would be a confes- 
sion of guilt, and thus, without committing a fur- 
ther crime she would ward off suspicion. 


120 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER Vn. 

A SUKPRISING DISCOVERY. 

Having thus laid our plans, Tancred and my- 
self proceeded to carry them iout ; and in order 
both to lighten the labor and economize time, we 
divided the business into two portions. Tancred 
was to make inquiries at the shop of Phillis & 
Co. regarding the existence of a Black Carnation ; 
and I, through the agency of my man. Pointer, 
was to discover the movements of Dallas from the 
time he arrived in Paris. Having thus arranged 
matters we parted to execute our several tasks ; 
and I returned to my rooms to interview Pointer, 
while Tancred went off to Phillis & Co., osten *ibly 
to purchase a buttonhole, but in reality to find 
out about that confounded flower. We were to 
meet next day at the Old Friends’ Club, to report 
on our movements, and decide upon what was to 
be done. 

I think I have mentioned Pointer before, but 
you only know his name, not his admirable quali- 
ties which make him the prince of valets. You 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


121 


have doubtless read Les Trois Mousquetaires., by 
M. Dumas, which contains the admirable character 
of the lackey Planchet. If so, there is no need 
for me to describe Pointer; he is a replica of 
Planchet, faithful', shrewd, and blindly devoted to 
my interest. Nowadays, such a servant is a jewel 
of price, for what with the revolutionary ideas 
of the lower order’s, and the all-men-are-equal 
theory, it is almost impossible to find a decent valet. 
I, therefore, valued Pointer very much, and as he 
has been with me for many years, he is completely 
in my confidence, being, I may say, a humble friend 
and adviser, though he has too much good sense to 
venture on any familiarity ; if he did, egad, we 
should soon part, for I am a staunch supporter of 
class divisions. 

Such remarks, however, are scarcely to the point, 
save in showing the reason why I trusted Pointer 
so fully ; but, being an old man, I am naturally 
somewhat garrulous, and therefore a trifle egotisti- 
cal, for I have noticed garrulous men generally 
stick to discussing themselves. However, I will 
not digress further, but merely remark that Pointer 
was an excellent servant, and well fitted to per- 
form the mission with which I now entrusted him. 

“ By the way. Pointer,” I said, after having led 


122 the black carnation. 

delicately up to the subject, “ do you know the 
valet of Mr. Dallas ? ” 

“ Very well, sir.” 

One admirable quality about Pointer is, that he 
answers exactly what he has beeil asked, and makes 
no comments thereon. 

“ What is his name, Pointer? ” 

“ Dabs worth, sir.” 

“ He is in town, I believe ? ” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ And his master ? ” 

“Has left town, sir. No address given.” 

“ Does Dabsworth expect him back shortly ? ” 

“ Can’t say, sir.” 

“ You can keep a secret. Pointer ? ” 

“ I can, sir.” 

“ Good. I will trust you. Mr. Dallas is mixed 
up in this opera house tragedy.” 

“ Is he indeed, sir ? ” 

Another excellent qualification possessed by 
Pointer is, that he is never surprised at anything, 
but accepts the most startling statements in a calm 
and unemotional manner. Such a trait cannot be 
too highly valued in a servant. 

“You know Sir Gilbert Tressinger has been 
arrested. Pointer.” 


THE BLACK CAUNATION. 


123 


“ So the papers say, sir.” 

“ I am, as you know, a friend of Sir Gilbert’s, 
and I wish to assist him to prove his innocence, 
for of course he is perfectly innocent. Pointer.” 

“ Of course, sir.” 

“ I have reason to believe that Mr. Dallas knows 
more about this affair than he chooses to say. Not 
that he is guilty in any criminal sense. Pointer. 
I make no accusation against him — you under- 
stand ? ” 

“ I do, sir.” 

“But, as I said before, he is connected in some 
way with the death of Madame Mazzucata. Now, 
Mr. Dallas told me that he arrived from Paris on 
the sixteenth of May, which was the date of the 
tragedy. I have reason to believe he was in Lon- 
don before that date, and has some strong cause to 
conceal his movements. What I wish you to do 
is, to find out from Dabsworth when his master 
returned to town.” 

“ I will do so, major.” 

“ And, Pointer ; there was a letter posted to 
Madame Mazzucata from Paris, which, I fancy, 
came from Mr. Dallas. You might sound his man 
on that point also.” 

“ Yes, sir.” 


124 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ That is all, I think, Pointer.’^ 

“Very good, sir. I will make my report to- 
night. Have I your permission, sir, to go out this 
afternoon to make inquiries ? ” 

“ Yes, Pointer.” 

“Very good, sir, 1 will find out all you desire to 
know. Anything else, sir ? ” 

“ Not at present. Oh, by the way, give me that 
book.” 

Pointer obeyed, and handed me a French novel 
in which I was just then much interested, after 
which he retired quietly and left me to my own 
reflections. 

This confounded detective fever certainly disor- 
ganized my life very much. Formerly, my mind 
being completely at rest, I was the slave of habit, 
and with me, one day was exactly the same as an- 
other. I arose about ten o’clock, and after a light 
breakfast read the papers, then I di’essed myself 
carefully and went for a ride in the park, after- 
wards, I had luncheon at my club, called on my 
friends, walked i-n the park, and amused myself 
according to my fancy until dinner-time. When 
that occurred I dressed again and took my meal at 
the club, after which there was either the theatre, 
a visit, or a game of whist, and bed before mid- 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


125 


night. It was a very pleasant life and regular, but 
this detective fever put an end to all that by excit- 
ing my mind. Morn, noon and night, I was think- 
ing about the case, and the idea of the Black Car- 
nation was continually with me. I rode in the 
park — Mazzucata, I paid a visit — Mazzucata, I ate 
my dinner, I played whist, I retired to bed, Mazzu- 
cata — ^heavens, this woman dominated my entire 
life, and until I discovered and punished her assas- 
sin, I saw no way of escaping from her influence. 
I was the slave of an idea, a fancy, and the more 
resolutely did I strive to banish it from my 
thoughts, the more resolutely did it remain there, 
and the case, though interesting, was exhausting. 
Judging from my own sufferings, I should say that 
police officers died young, for such wear and tear 
of the imagination must inevitably end in wearing 
out the brain long before its due time in the course 
of Nature. 

Detective fever had made me do many things 
which I considered unfit for a gentleman — it made 
me ask questions about my friends’ private affairs 
— it made me suspect my social equals — it made 
me consult with my social inferiors, to wit. Pointer, 
yet so keen was I on the result, that I confess, with- 


126 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


out blushing, that I did not care two straws about 
the means, provided the end was attained. 

How I got through that afternoon I did not 
know. I could not read ; I could not walk. I 
went to the club, and tried to converse with my 
friends, but failed dismally ; so, in despair, I took 
a quick turn in the park by myself, and returned 
to my rooms at five o’clock in order to dress for 
dinner — which was a mere farce, seeing I had lost 
my appetite — and hear what Pointer had to say. 

He was waiting for me, as calm and composed 
as ever; so, though I was burning to know the 
result of his inquiries, I emulated his stoical be- 
havior, and saw him perform his various duties in 
connection with my evening toilet, without evinc- 
ing any undue impatience. 

“Well, Pointer,” I said, at length, when I was 
nearly ready, “ did you have any success ? ” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ What, you found out all I desire to know ? ” 

“ I found out everything, sir.” 

“ Capital. Tell me all about it.” 

Pointer, who has been in the army, held himself 
upright in a rigid fashion, and delivered his report 
in as few words as possible. 

“ According to your directions, sir, I called oji 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


127 


Dabsworth, and asked him to come with me to a 
public-house which is kept by an old friend of mine 
who was a butler. Dabsworth, sir, came at once, 
as, his master being out of town, he had plenty of 
time on his hands. So we went to my friend’s 
house, and had a chat over a bottle of claret.” 

“ The wine of gentlemen,” I muttered, grimly, 
“ and valets diink it. The world is going to the 
devil.” 

“ While thus engaged, sir, I led up to the ques- 
tion of travelling, and asked Dabsworth how he 
liked the East, which he didn’t, sir. Then, sir, he 
told me a queer tale about liimself and his master 
in Paris.” 

“ Yes, yes ; go on. Pointer.” 

“ He promised not to tell a soul, sir ; but. Lord 
bless you, sir, ‘ When the wine’s in, the wit’s out,’ 
and Dabs worth’s got a poor head for the bottle. 
Even claret goes to his head, sir ; and it did to-day.” 

I felt a certain disgust for myself at countenanc- 
ing such conduct as getting a man’s secrets out of 
him through drink ; but, when I thought of the 
serious position in which my poor friend was placed, 
and of the scoundrelly fashion in which Dallas was 
acting, all my scruples vanished, and I commanded 
Pointer to proceed* 


128 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Mr. Dallas, sir,” said Pointer, promptly, “ ar- 
rived in Paris about the seventh of May, and came 
on to London on the eighth.” 

“ Oh ! ” I cried, startled at finding Tancred’s sus- 
picions confirmed, “ then he was in London at 
least a week before the day on which he said he 
arrived.” 

“ I suppose so, sir. But he didn’t tell Dabsworth 
he was going to England. No, sir. Dabsworth 
only found that out by the letter.” 

“ What letter ? ” 

“ The letter, sir, posted from Paris to Madame 
Mazzucata.” 

“ Did Dabsworth post it there? ” 

“ Yes, sir, by the instructions of Mr. Dallas, who 
was then in London.” 

“The deuce !” I murmured, rather at a loss to 
understand this complicated recital. “ Be more 
explicit. Pointer.” 

“ Sir, it is difficult to tell all plainly ; but, as 
far as I could understand Dabsworth, who told me 
the story in scraps, it is this way : On the eighth, 
Mr. Dallas told his valet that he was going to see 
some friends at Amiens.” 

“ Good. Amiens is a station on the line running 
from Paris to Boulogne and Calais.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


129 


“ Dabsworth, according to instructions, was to 
remain in Paris with the luggage of Mr. Dallas, 
till he was told to come on to Amiens.” 

“ I understand.” 

“ He remained in Paris, sir,” resumed Pointer, 
deliberately, “ for some days ; and on the eleventh, 
or thereabouts, received a letter from Mr. Dallas, 
enclosing another letter addressed to Madame Maz- 
zucata, which he was told to post — an order which 
he obeyed.” 

‘‘ And the outside envelope, addressed to Dabs- 
worth, bore an English stamp and postmark ? ” 
Yes, sir.” 

“ While all the time Dabsworth thought his mas- 
ter was at Amiens.” 

“ That is the strange part of it, sir. On the fif- 
teenth, Dabsworth received a letter from Mr. Dal- 
las, with a French stamp and the Amiens postmark, 
telling him Mr. Dallas would precede him to Eng- 
land, and that he was to come on to London on 
the sixteenth with the luggage.” 

“ Judging, then, by the first letter, Mr. Dallas 
was in England ; and by the second, he remained 
at Amiens.” 

“ Yes, sir ! I cannot understand it.” 

“ Queer,” I muttered, rather perplexed ; “ I ex- 
9 


130 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


pect the solution is this, Pointer ; Mr. Dallas went 
straight to England on the eighth and posted that 
letter, then he returned to Amiens and wrote the 
other. What time did Mr. Dallas arrive in 
London ? ” 

“ On the morning of the sixteenth. He trav- 
elled by the night mail, sir.” 

“ And Dabs worth ? ” 

“ Arrived in the evening about seven o’clock on 
the sixteenth of May.” 

“ Egad,” I said to myself in surprise, “ Tancred 
is right after all, and Dallas was in London all the 
time. Our friend has a talent for intrigue.” 

“ Anything else, sir? ” 

“ No, thank you. Pointer. That is all I wish to 
know, and I congratulate you on your talent for 
finding out secrets. Keep this information to your- 
self.” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ And now I will go down to the club.” 

I was destined, however, not to reach the club 
for at least some time, as, just as I was leaving my 
sitting-room, a man rapidly mounted the stairs. 

“ My dear major, I am fortunate in thus catching 
you.” 

“ Tancred.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


131 


“ The same. Come to your sitting-room, major. 
I have found out all I wish to know, and could not 
wait till to-morrow. And you — — ” 

“ Have discovered all the movements of Dal- 
las.” 

“ Excellent. W e will now put two and two 
together.” 

“Will you have a sherry and bitters ! ” 

“ Thank you, yes. I can only spare a few min- 
utes, as I have to catch a train for Surbiton, but I 
can learn and tell everything in that time. Come, 
major, you begin.” 

Pointer placed the wine on the table, poured it 
out, and on a sign from me, retired, after which I 
began, and told Tancred the story of the letters, to 
which he listened quietly without evincing the 
slightest surprise. 

“ I was right, you see, major,” he said, sipping 
his sherry. 

“You were, sir, you were,” I answered, gener- 
ously, for when I am in fault, I always admit my- 
self to be so. “ Dallas was in London a few 
days.” 

“ At least a week.” 

“ But he returned to Amiens to post that second 
letter.” 


132 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“Not he,” answered Tancred, emphatically, “he 
wrote and addressed that letter before he left Paris, 
and left it at Amiens with instructions to be posted 
on the fifteenth.” 

“ You think so ? ” 

“ I am sure of it. Dallas, as I surmised, came to 
London to convince himself of the truth regarding 
Mazzucata. She left Paris on the sixth, and he 
arrived on the seventh, consequently he followed 
her to London on the eighth; but in order to 
establish an alibi should it be necessary, he in- 
vented that Amiens business, which I admit is very 
clever.” 

“ You were also right about that Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“Yes, he sent that to Paris to be posted, but like 
a fool, forgot that he was betraying himself to his 
valet by the English postmark.” 

“ It is strange that such a clever man should 
make such an error.” 

“ It is, indeed, but the cleverest people always 
overreach themselves. Dallas came to England, 
found out that Mazzucata was about to marry Gil- 
bert, and set himself to work to frighten her with 
the Black Carnation.” 


Which he obtained where ? ” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


133 


Tancred took a slip of paper from his pocket and 
read out an address — 

Simon Maxwell, 

Florist, 

Lippinton. 

“ Where is Lippinton, Tancred ? 

“ It’s a little village near Harrow, where this 
man keeps a nursery garden.” 

“ And grows Black Carnations ? ” 

“ Yes; he is the inventor of the flower.” 

“ Where did you find out this ? ” 

“ From Phillis & Co. I saw the head of the 

» 

firm, who, by the way, is a great friend of mine.” 

“ What s his name ? ” 

“ It isn’t a ‘ he,’ it’s a ‘ she,’ ” replied Tancred, 
calmly ; “ the Hon. Mrs. Lanster.” 

“ My dear Tancred, you don’t mean to say ” 

“ But I do mean to say. Most women take to 
the millinery business, so Mrs. Lanster, to be novel 
and make money, has started a florist’s under the 
name of Phillis & Co.” 

“ Does she do well ? ” 

“ Rather; makes no end of money. You have, 
doubtless, observed how regularly Lanster pays 
his gambling debts now.” 


134 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Yes, but I didn’t know ” 

“ Of course you didn’t, but that’s not the ques- 
tion. Mrs. Lanster told me that the Black Carna- 
tion is in existence, and is grown by this man at 
Lippinton.” 

“ Did she think Mazzucata’s case had anything 
to do with this Simon Maxwell ? ” 

“ She thought it queer, certainly, but as she is 
a woman who can hold her tongqe, she kept her 
own counsel. Few people know about the exist- 
ence of this flower, as Maxwell guards the plant 
jealously.” 

“ Then how did Dallas get a bud to send to 
Mazzucata ? ” 

“ That is the question. We must And out.” 

“ By calling on Maxwell, I suppose.” 

“ Precisely. Now then. Major Granby, here is 
a chance for you to do the Vidocq business. Will 
you go down to Lippinton and see this man ? ” 

“ Certainly. I w ill go down to-morrow ; but 
what excuse can I make ? ” 

“ Oh, tell him you wish to look at his green- 
houses and buy plants ; but above all do not ask 
to see the Black Carnation.” 

“ Why not?” 

“ My dear major, neither you nor I know 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


135 


anything about this man, and for all I know he 
also may be mixed up in the affair.” 

“ What, a market gardener ? Absurd.” 

“ Yes, it sounds ridiculous, I admit ; but just 
look at the facts of the case. Here is a man who 
has invented a Black Carnation, and has not let 
even a bud out of his hands — at least so says Mrs. 
Lanster. W ell, Dallas, as we have found out from 
his valet, sent a letter from Paris to Madame Maz- 
zucata ; that letter, as Gilbert proved, contained 
a Black Carnation. Now, in order to get that 
flower, Dallas must have gone to Maxwell, there- 
fore Maxwell must know something about this 
case.” 

“ But Dallas might have stolen the flower.” 

“ True, but that is what you have to find out, 
and it is as well to be on our guard. Now, if 
Maxwell does chance to know anything about this 
case, which, going by the above reasoning is not 
improbable, if you ask straight out to see that 
Black Carnation plant, he will immediately be- 
come suspicious, and say nothing. Whereas, by a 
little dexterous diplomacy you can see the plant 
and find out all about it.” 

“ It is a difficult thing to do.” 

“ Yes, but I am sure you can do it. If I send a 


136 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


detective, Maxwell may find out my emissary’s 
business and refuse to show him the plant, but 
you — ^you are a gentleman wishing to buy plants, 
and, therefore. Maxwell will be off his guard.” 

“ But why should Maxwell be on his guard ? ” 

“ Because I feel sure he is mixed up in the 
matter.” 

“ And why ? ” 

“ Why,” echoed Tancred, with a significant 
smile, “ why, my dear major, just think over all 
the evidence we have collected in connection with 
this case. Mazzucata herself said she had seen a 
Black Carnation long before Dallas sent her one 
— in fact he sent her that particular flower, so to 
speak, on her own suggestion.” 

“Well? 

“Well,” reiterated Tancred, impatiently, “ don’t 
you see that Mazzucata must have known Maxwell 
in order to have seen a Black Carnation.” 

“ That’s true enough.” 

“ Of course it is. I tell you what, major, I 
should not be surprised to find out that Dallas 
had nothing to do with the death at all.” 

“ What, did he not send that Black Carnation 
from Paris?” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


137 


“ Yes.” 

“ And did he not buy a bouquet similar to that 
of Gilbert’s on the sixteenth ? ” 

“ He did. I found that out from Phillis & Co. 
On the morning of the sixteenth Dallas went to 
Phillis & Co. and asked if a bouquet was being 
made up for Mazzucata. They told him yes, and 
described the bouquet.” 

“ Which they had no business to do.” 

“ Of course they hadn’t, but what can you expect 
from a parcel of chattering girls such as Mrs. Lan- 
ster employs. Well, Dallas had a bouquet made 
up — all white flowers.” 

“ With a black rose in the centre.” 

“No, all white. He put in the centre-piece 
himself; not a black rose but a Black Carna- 
tion.” 

“ And changed the bouquets at the Hotel 
Europa.” 

“ I think so ; but at all events, he ordered the 
bouquet as I told you.” 

“ And with all this you think Dallas is innocent,” 
I asked, ironically. 

“I can’t say that for certain. We have an ad- 
mirable, case against him, still ” 

“Still what? ” 


138 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ I wish to find out why Mazzucata knew that 
her death would be preceded by the appearance of 
a Black Carnation.” 

“ And you think Maxwell knows ? ” 

“ My dear major, as Maxwell is the only man in 
possession of such an unique flower, it stands to 
reason that he must know.” 

“ Well, I will try and find out all about that to- 
morrow,” I said, finishing my sherry. 

‘‘ Be very careful, major,” said Tancred, rising 
to his feet and putting on his hat — “ by the way, 
major, I am a bit of a prophet, and I prophecy 
you will see someone down at Lippinton, or hear 
that someone lias been down there whom you little 
expect either to see or hear of.” 

“ And this someone ? ” 

“ Guess.” 

“ Dallas ? ” 

“ No.” 

“lima Celinski ?” 

“No.” 

“ Then I can’t think who it can be.” 

“ What do you say to Signor Ivan? ” 

“ The tenor ! But why ? ” 

“ He handed Mazzucata the fatal bouquet. It 
was rather curious that such a bouquet should 


TUE BLACK CARNATION. 


139 


have been picked up by Signor Ivan from among 
so many bunches of flowers.” 

“ Then you think ” 

“ I don’t think anything for certain. However, 
wait till I hear your report and I will give my 
opinion.” 

“ Regarding Signor Ivan ? ” 

“ Yes, and others. Look at the people mixed up 
in this affair, major — a list which is growing longer 
every day. Tressinger, Dallas, lima Celinski, 
Maxwell, and Ivan. Five of them.” 

“Which of the five do you think guilty?” 

“ I don’t know. There may be a sixth for all I 
know.” 

“ And that sixth ? ” 

“ Will doubtless be a woman.” 


140 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER VIII. 

A DIPLOMATIC EPPAKD. 

I WAS SO much excited by my interview with 
Tancred that I had hut little sleep that night. 
Truly, the mystery was assuming gigantic propor- 
tions, for as soon as one problem was solved, 
another more difficult than the last presented 
itself. At first it had been hard to find anyone 
who had a motive in removing Madame Mazzucata, 
but now it seemed as though there were five people 
mixed up in the affair. Tressinger was innocent 
I knew, in spite of appearances being so much 
against him, and as to Dallas, notwithstanding 
that Tancred had constructed such a subtle case, 
it appeared as though, owing to the discovery of 
Maxwell, he also were guiltless. lima Celinski I 
suspected myself, and Tancred seemed to regard 
Signor Ivan as a possible accomplice in the tragedy. 
Five people, against whom suspicion could be 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


141 


directed, and, in the words of the barrister, a pos- 
sible sixth. 

Certainly, it was no easy task from among this 
number to find the guilty person, but the solution 
of the whole mystery was doubtless to be found 
at Lippinton ; so for that village I left next morn- 
ing by the mid-day train. 

In this difficult matter I was somewhat puzzled 
how to proceed, as, according to Tancred, the slight- 
est hint of my true errand might arouse the suspi- 
cions of Simon Maxwell and spoil everything. But 
then, I did not agree with the lawyer in his sur- 
mise about Maxwell being involved in the affair, 
as it was absolutely ridiculous to suppose that an 
obscure market gardener could be connected in any 
way with a world-famous prima-donna. True, Max- 
well possessed the celebrated Black Carnation plant, 
but that did not argue that he himself sent a bud 
to Mazzucata, as he would have no reason for such 
a proceeding, and my theory was, that someone 
had stolen the flower for the purpose to which it 
was applied. Therefore, arguing in this way. Max- 
well had nothing to do with the^ tragedy, and would 
not be in the least suspicious of my unexpected 
visit. Nevertheless, I determined to be careful 
and find out all I could about the unique plant, 


142 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


without mentioning either the Black Carnation 
or Mazzucata. 

In due time, I arrived at Lippinton, which is a 
pretty rustic village, situate not far from Harrow, 
and had no difficulty in finding Maxwell, who 
seemed to be very well known in the neighborhood. 
Flower gardening is a graceful occupation, and 
should suggest graceful ideas, but apparently, this 
was not the case with Mr. Maxwell, as the exterior 
of his house had a most forbidding appearance. 
While of no great size, it was severely plain ; and 
was built of white stone, with a black painted door, 
which seemed like the entrance to an undertaker’s 
establishment. No garden in front, no flower boxes 
in the windows ; it faced the dusty road in aggres- 
sive ugliness, flanked by two pretty little houses 
on either side, which accentuated the black appear- 
ance of their starved-looking neighbor. 

“ I suppose the garden is at the ba,ck,” I mur- 
mured to myself, as I rang the bell. “ It is to be 
hoped that it is more inviting than the front view. 
Judging by the house, Simon Maxwell, Florist, 
must be a singularly unpleasant person.” 

In answer to my summons, a neatly attired maid- 
servant appeared, who forthwith conducted me 
through a passage to a courtyard at the back of 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


143 


the house. Roofed with glass, it resembled a hot- 
house in temperature, and was filled with a pro- 
fusion of tropical plants which bloomed radiantly 
in the moist air. The wall at the end of the court- 
yard was also glass half-way up, that is, from the cen- 
tre to the roof, and through this transparent screen 
I could see the gardens stretching far into the dis- 
tance. The walks, laid out at right angles to one 
another, gave this space a certain resemblance to a 
chess board ; and here and there were long rows of 
greenhouses, their glass roofs glittering in the sun. 
At these, however, I cast but a casual glance, being 
fully occupied in admiring the wonderful beauty 
of the flowers growing under the glass dome of 
the courtyard. This latter was covered with a 
kind of green glaze, which produced a certain twi- 
light effect, and on all sides, I saw masses of rain- 
bow tints, while the odor of the flowers in the warm 
air was almost insupportable. 

Unfortunately, I know nothing about flowers, 
my knowledge being confined to a few common 
specimens, such as a daisy, a marigold a sunflower, 
therefore, I am unable -to describe the plants in any 
correct fashion. However, remembering the object 
of my visit, I sought everywhere in vain for the 
Black Carnation, but that unique flower was 


144 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


conspicuous by its absence. It was the veiled 
odalisque of this botanical seraglio, and its jealous, 
master doubtless, kept it under lock and key. 

At this moment of my reflections, a man entered 
the greenhouse from the nursery garden, and it 
did not take me long to come to the conclusion that 
this was Simon Maxwell. I am no stickler for 
beauty in a man, provided his appearance is pass- 
able, but I must say, that Maxwell was the most 
perfect type of a Caliban, which it has ever been 
my fortune to see. Short in stature, crooked in 
figure, with a sullen heavy face and ungainly hands 
and feet, he was more like a gorilla than a man ; 
nor did his voice, language or demeanor prepossess 
me at all in his favor. 

“ Major Granby,” he said, in a harsh tone, look- 
ing at my card which he held in his hairy paw — I 
cannot call it a hand. “Well, sir, and what can 
I do for you ? ” 

“ Mr. Maxwell, I presume? ” I remarked, affably, 
deeming it wise to get into the good graces of this 
monster. 

“ Yes, what is it ? ” 

“ I wish to look at some flowers.” 

“ They are all around you, sir. Is there any 
particular flower you wished to see.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


145 


Upon my word, I felt inclined to ask for the 
Black Carnation, but such a proceeding would 
have been too abrupt, so I came to the subject in a 
roundabout fashion, which I judged to be eminently 
diplomatic. 

“ The fact is, Mr. Maxwell, I am tired of ordin- 
ary flowers and wish to procure some unique spec- 
imens.’’ 

“ I can give you what you wish, sir,” he replied, 
in a civil manner, though his voice was odiously 
harsh, “ but the prices will be large.” 

“ Oh, that will be no bar to our dealings, I assure 
you.” 

When I made this last remark he smiled in a 
gratified manner, and taking me round the court- 
yard, began pointing out the beauties of the various 
flowers, and explaining the peculiar excellence of 
each. To these explanations I listened attentively 
enough, — at least to all appearances, for in reality 
I was closely examining the face of this brusque 
individual. I flatter myself, and not without 
reason, that I am something of a physiognomist, 
but, to tell the truth, the contradictory face of this 
man puzzled me greatly. He had a hard, set mouth, 
an obstinate chin, but his eyes were singular- 
ly beautiful, and at times gleamed with a soft 


146 THE BLACK CARNATION. 

expression, though at others they glittered like 
steel. His well-formed head was badly placed on 
his shoulders, and his stumpy fingers ended in 
club-shaped nails, always a bad sign. While thus 
inspecting him in a furtive fashion, I noticed that 
his eyes were blue and his hair dark, an association 
which is peculiarly Irish. The name Maxwell was 
distinctly Scotch, but the man himself I took to be 
Irish, a fact which I determined to make sure of. 
My reason for doing so was a mild one, neverthe- 
less, strong enough for me to persist in finding out 
his nationality. 

“ You have certainly a wonderful show of 
flowers here, Mr. Maxwell,” I said, artfully. “ I 
have only seen one nursery garden as good as 
this.” 

“ And where may that be, sir ? ” he demanded, 
curtly, not very pleased at the insinuation. 

“ In Ireland.” 

Maxwell shook his head. 

“No, I know Ireland thoroughly, and never yet 
saw a shoAV of blossoms equal to mine.” 

“ Perhaps you are right,” I answered, carelessly, 
“ no Irishman was ever a gardener.” 

“ You think so, sir ? ” 


“ I’m convinced of it.” 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


147 


“ Then you don’t call me a gardener, sir.” 

“ Oh, yes, I do, but then you are a Scotchman.” 

“ No, sir,” he answered, promptly, “ I am Irish.” 

I inwardly rejoiced at having my belief thus 
confirmed, but with a view to obtain more infor- 
mation, continued carelessly, 

“ But the name Maxwell is Scotch.” 

“ Aye, but the man Maxwell is Irish. It’s this 
way, sir : My ancestors crossed from Scotland to the 
North of Ireland some hundred and fifty years ago, 
so I am Scotch by descent, but Irish by nationality.” 

“ Oh, then I am correct in assuming that you are a 
Londonderry man ? ” 

“ Yes, from Omagh.” 

“ Ah, the wearing of the green.” 

“No, sir, no,” he replied, violently; “I am an 
Orangeman. My forebears were Presbyterians, and 
I am so also, and please God shall continue so till 
I die.” 

“ A fanatic,” I thought, being now confirmed in 
my idea. “ I wonder ” 

“ But this is not to the point, sir,” he said, hastily 
cutting short my meditations ; “ come with me and 
I’ll show you some very rare flowers.” 

He opened the door which led into the grounds, 
and we passed out into the sunshine. 


148 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


“ You send a great many flowers into town, I 
suppose, Mr. Maxwell,” I observed, as we strolled 
along the sandy path. 

“ A great many. Phillis and Co. are my best 
customers.” 

“ So I believe. It was Phillis and Co. that 
recommended you tc me.” 

“They do a great business sir, if not a pious 
one.” 

The strangeness of this observation struck me 
so forcibly, that I stopped short in my walk and 
looked at him in amazement. 

“ A pious one,” I reiterated, wondering what 
was his meaning. 

“ Aye, they make up flowers and wreaths for 
the opera.” 

“ Well, why shouldn’t they? It’s not a sin.” 

“ In my eyes it is a sin,” he said, sternly. “ I have 
a hatred of all such iniquitous doings, such as sing- 
ing and dancing. Never would I send flowers to 
the opera from this place.” 

“ Yet, you do so.” 

“ I do business with Phillis and Co., so when I 
send flowers to them, my business ceases with de- 
livery of the same. If they choose to make up 
flowers for singing women, it is none of my affair.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


149 


“ You don’t seem well disposed towards singers, 
Mr. Maxwell.” 

“ I am not ; and I have good reason for it.” 

I made no comment on this last speech, though 
it did a great deal to confirm the suspicions I enter- 
tained when discovering his nationality. 

“ I am sorry to hear you have such a bad opinion 
of artistes, Mr. Maxwell. There are good and bad 
people in all professions.” 

“ All those connected with the stage are bad.” 

“You speak rather wildly. Have you ever 
known any singers ? ” 

Maxwell looked at me keenly for a few moments, 
then let his chin sink on his breast, with a heavy 
sigh. 

“ Aye. One or two.” 

“ You shouldn’t judge the whole profession by 
one or two samples.” 

“ By the one, we know the many. Major Granby, 
sir,” he answered, coldly. “ I detest the whole 
pack of them, and will do no business with stage 
players of any kind.” 

“ Well, I don’t suppose they ever wish to do 
business with you.” 

“ Don’t they,” retorted Maxwell, grimly. “ Why, 
one was down here the other day — Signor Ivan.” 


150 the black cabnation. 

“ Signor Ivan ! ” I echoed, in amazement, as I 
thought of Tancred’s suspicions. “ The tenor now 
singing at Covent Garden ? ” 

“ I don’t know where he is singing, sir. He 
came down here a week or so ago to select some 
flowers, but I refused to give him a single 
one.” 

“ Did he steal any ? ” 

“ Steal any ? I dare say he would have been 
quite capable of it ; but, so far as I know, he did 
not.” 

“ Not even a Black Carnation ?” 

It was imprudent, I know, to thus betray the 
purpose of my visit ; but I was hardly prepared 
for the effect which my observation had on Max- 
well. His face changed to a grayish pallor, his 
mouth closed like a vice, and his eyes glittered 
ominously. 

‘‘ The Black Carnation,” he repeated, slowly, 
with suppressed savagery. “ May I ask, sir, what 
you know about the Black Carnation?” 

“Nothing more than I have learned from the 
papers.” 

“ What have the papers to say about it ? ” 

“ Have you not read the account of Mazzucata’s 
murder?” 


THE BLACK CAliNATlOK. 


151 


“ I never read the papers,” said Maxwell, in a 
hard tone. “ When I require reading, I open my 
Bible, and neither know, nor care to know, what 
iniquity is being practised in London.” 

“ Mazzucata,” I explained, keeping my eyes in- 
tently fastened on his face, “ was a prima-donna 
at the opera, who was killed on the night of the 
sixteenth of May, by the explosion of a dynamite 
cartridge hidden in a bouquet.” 

“^Is that so ? ” replied Maxwell, indifferently. 
“ The ways of iniquity are hard. But why do you 
tell me this?” 

“ Because in the fatal bouquet there was a Black 
Carnation.” 

“ Impossible. I alone possess that plant ; and I 
have never yet either sold or given away a flower.” 

“ Nevertheless, such is the case.” 

“ I tell you, such cannot be the case. I have 
invented and grown this flower. The bud in that 
bouquet must have been dyed.” 

“ No, it was not dyed. It was a real flower, for 
I saw it myself.” 

“ Are you sure ? ” 

“ Perfectly sure.” 

Maxwell stood in a state of evident perplexity 
for a few minutes, as if he were making up his 


152 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


mind to take some step, then lifted his head with 
sudden decision. 

“ Come, and I will show you the Black Carna- 
tion.” 

I followed him with the greatest alacrity, as I 
was extremely anxious to see this famous plant, 
which seemed to he at the bottom of all this 
mystery surrounding the death of Mazzucata. 
Maxwell moved slowly along towards a greenhouse 
smaller than the others, and talked rapidly all the 
time. 

“ I tell you, it is impossible — impossible,” he 
said, in an obstinate tone. “No one else possesses 
the secret of tinting flowers but myself. I made 
the discovery by accident some years ago, and can 
produce any flower I please — that is, as to color. 
Yes. I have produced green carnations, blue 
roses, lilies the color of violet, and vermilion 
pansies ; but my greatest triumph has been this 
Black Carnation ; and there is only a single plant 
in existence, which is kept closely locked up in 
this house. No one but myself holds the key, so 
no one could have obtained a flower. The blossom 
you speak of must have been dyed.” 

“ My good sir,” I said, firmly, “ I am positive it 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


. 153 


was not dyed. It was a real flower, as black as 
your hat.” 

“ Can someone else have the secret ? ” he mut- 
tered, to himself. “ Impossible.” 

“ Have you told the secret of changing the 
colors of flowers to anyone ? ” 

“ No, I have not.” 

“ Then perhaps a bud was stolen, when you 
were showing the plant to someone.” 

Maxwell paused at the door of the greenhouse, 
and looked at me. in a troubled manner. 

“ Certainly, I showed the plant to Signor Ivan.” 

“ You did.” 

“ Yes ; but I was present all the time. He was 
not left alone with the plant.” 

“ Did you turn your back any time while you 
were in the greenhouse ? ” 

“ Oh, yes ; I left him looking at the plant while 
I went to find him a red pansy.” 

“ Then, depend upon it, he took a bud while 
your back was turned.” 

“ I will examine the plant,” said Maxwell, 
opening the door ; “ and if a bud has been taken, 
I can soon tell.” 

We entered into the green-house, which was, as 
I have said, of a, smaller size than any of the 


154 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


others, and I felt as though I were transported to 
another world, for all the flowers contained therein 
were colored otherwise than by the laws of nature. 
There were green carnations, blue roses, red 
pansies, violet lilies, and one extraordinary camellia 
of blended red, white and blue. 

“ I call that the Union Camellia,” said Maxwell, 
as I examined this bizarre flower, “ it is the only 
specimen extant. Well, sir, what do you think of 
these flowers ? ” 

“ They are wonderful, but unnatural. I prefer 
nature.” 

“ Look at this cardinal pansy, as red as fire ; and 
this azure rose — is it not a delicate blue ? ” 

“ Hideous. This place is a museum of mon- 
strosities. You must have a very perverted taste, 
Mr. Maxwell.” 

“ I ? No ; but I am fond of trying experiments. 
As you see, I can change the colors of plants. 
Now I am trying to give perfume to those flowers 
which have no scents. This camellia, for instance, 
has no odor — well, I am going to give to it the 
perfume of a rose, then it will be a perfect flower.” 

“ You can’t do that.” 

“ Why not?” 

“ Because it is against the laws of nature.” 


THE BLACK CABKATION. 155 

“ So is a Black Carnation. Yet, you see.” 

I uttered a cry of amazement, for in front of me 
was a carnation plant, covered with, sooty-looking 
flowers, which looked as though they had been 
dipped in ink. The effect was striking, but very 
unpleasant. 

“ Horrible,” I said, with a shudder, “ horrible. 
I feel as though I were transported to one of those 
strange planets which astronomers tell us have red 
skies and green suns.” 

“ I have seen a green sunset in the tropics,” said 
Maxwell, coolly, “ so why should there not be a 
green sun ? As to my Black Carnation, it is worth 
its weight in gold.” 

‘‘ There is something unlucky about the sight 
of such a monstrosity of nature.” 

“It is not a monstrosity of nature, it is a mon- 
strosity of man. Nature could not produce a 
Black Carnation, but I can, as you see.” 

“ Well, Mr. Maxwell, if you are the only person 
who possesses this curious plant, I can tell you, 
that one of the flowers was used in a bouquet 
which murdered a woman.” 

“ We will see,” replied Maxwell, going over to 
the plant. “ I have not counted the buds for a 
long time, nor have any new flowers bloomed 


156 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


lately. Last time I counted, was before I saw 
Signor Ivan, who called on me. Then there were 
twelve blossoms. Now.” 

He counted the flowers quickly, and gave a cry 
of rage. 

“ Eleven ! eleven ! ” he said, stamping his foot, 
“ one of them has disappeared.” 

“ Signor Ivan.” 

“ Yes, it must be that man. He stole a bud — 
the villain. See, here is the stalk nipped off close 
to the mould in the pot. Thief, that he is, I will 
go up to town to see him. He stole my Black 
Carnation.” 

“ Yes, and placed it in a bouquet which also 
contained a dynamite cartridge.” 

“ What is that to me ? ” raged Maxwell, furi- 
ously. “ I don’t care what he did with it.” 

“ But I do. For the man who placed the Black 
Carnation in the bouquet, is responsible for the 
death of Mazzucata.” 

“ The singing woman,” said the gardener, con- 
temptuously, “ well, let her die — or is she dead ? 
Well, I care not, but I will see this thief, and 
punish him for stealing my Black Carnation.” 

“ You can’t punish him more than justice will. 
If he killed Mazzucata, he will be hanged.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


157 


“ He deserves to be.’’ 

“ For killing Mazzucata ? ” 

“ No, for stealing my Black Carnation.” 

He was perfectly beside himself with fury, at 
the loss of his single flower, and stamped about, 
raging like a lion, while I was so dumfounded at 
the discovery I had made, that I could do nothing 
but stare at him in stupefied surprise. Suddenly, 
I heard a soft voice call out to Maxwell, 

“ Father.” 

I turned slowly and saw a woman standing in 
the door of the greenhouse. At the sight of her 
I started forward with a cry, for it was the dead 
returned to life. . 

“ Mazzucata,” I cried, in amazement, for at that 
moment I verily believed that the prima-donna 
stood before me. 

The woman at the door made a step forward, 
and an expression of horror overspread her face. 

“ Mazzucata,” she repeated, in a dismayed 
whisper, “ who said that name ? ” 


158 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER IX. 

DOPPLEGANGER. 

To say I was astonished would be but a weak 
way of expressing the state of bewilderment into 
which I was thrown by the unexpected appearance 
of this woman. All kinds of grim stories concern- 
ing doubles, apparitions, astral bodies, Dopple- 
ganger, rushed on m}^ mind, for though I had seen 
Madame Mazzucata killed on Covent Garden 
stage, lo, to all appearances, here she was in the 
flesh. It was horrible, incredible, impossible, and 
yet for the moment, I could have sworn it was the 
dead woman, and none other, who had pronounced 
her own name. When I recovered my senses, 
which had been rather upset by the occurrence, I 
saw that it was not, as for a mad moment I had 
thought, Mazzucata, but a woman who resembled 
her in every respect. 

Face, hair, flgure, height, this woman was the 
exact image of Mazzucata, and the startling like- 
ness was rendered still more impressive by the 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


159 - 


strange fact that the double was dressed in a 
loose robe of white similar to that which the singer 
had worn in the third act of La Heine d'Ecosse 
when she met her tragic death. 

For a moment that seemed an eternity she 
paused on the threshold, and then came towards 
me with outstretched hands, not in greeting, but 
as though to feel her way. I looked at her feet ; 
they moved cautiously forward as those of one not 
quite certain of the ground. I looked at her eyes, 
they were devoid of any expression. Outstretched 
hands, stumbling feet, expressionless eyes, I fath- 
omed the mystery at a glance — she was blind. 

“ Mazzucata,” she murmured, in a low voice. 
“ Oh, who are you that talks of Mazzucata ! ” 

“ Edith,” said Maxwell, sharply. “ What are 
you saying ? Why are you here ? This gentleman 
is here on business. You are disturbing us.” 

“Not at all, not at all,” I interrupted hastily, 
for I felt indignant at the tone adopted towards 
this poor blind woman. “ Pray, Mr. Maxwell, 
introduce me to this lady.” 

“ My daughter. Major Granby,” replied the 
gardener, in a grudging tone, and then walked 
quickly to the other side of the greenhouse in 
order to conceal his temper. 


160 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


‘‘ I beg your pardon, Major Granby,” murmured 
Miss Maxwell, with a faint smile, as she gradually 
recovered her self-command. “ I am not very 
strong, and you mentioned a name which rather 
startled me.” 

‘‘ Mazzucata ? ” 

“ Yes.” She laid her hand on her breast as 
though she felt a cruel pain in her heart. ‘ ‘ I — I 
know the name.” 

“ And the singer ? ” 

“No, no,” she replied, vehemently, “ I do not 
know her. I have heard the name as that of a 
famous singer.” 

“ Whom you resemble very strongly.” 

“ I ? ” she said, confusedly. “ Oh, no, you must 
be mistaken.” 

“ I assure you. Miss Maxwell, that when I saw 
you enter, I thought you were the twin sister of 
Mazzucata, or the singer herself.” 

“ How absurd,” said the girl, with a faint at- 
tempt at a smile. “I ought to feel flattered. 
Major Granby.” 

“ As soon as you are done talking, Edith,” cried 
Maxwell, sharply, “ perhaps you will let me finish 
my business with this gentleman.” 

“We can finish i-t together,” I said, cheerfully. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


161 


determined not to let this old ruffian crush the 
girl. “ Let us walk round the greenhouse, Miss 
Maxwell, and if you will accept my arm ” 

“ Oh ! not at all. I assure you, I know my 
way. about the whole place. It is my little king- 
dom, is it not, father ? ” 

“A very small kingdon,” said Maxwell, in a 
kinder tone than usual, on hearing which, she 
sighed faintly, and turned her sightless eyes in 
his direction. 

“ Large enough for one who is blind,” she ob- 
served, at length, and then proceeded to converse 
in a livelier tone. “Well, Major Granby, have 
you seen all my father’s treasures ? His red 
pansies, his blue roses ? ” 

“ And his Black Carnations. Oh, yes, I have 
seen them all. Miss Maxwell.” 

“ Black Carnations,” she said, with a terrified 
look. “ Ah ! you have seen tho Black Carnations.” 

What could there be about this flower, to have 
such an effect on every person to whom it was 
mentioned ? Mazzucata, Dallas, Tressinger, all 
quailed when any reference was made to it, and 
now this girl received the name as though it were 
something horrible. Surely, there was some fatal- 

itv connected with this flower that made it so 

11 


162 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


awesome ; the signal of death to one woman, a 
name of ill-omen to another. I was puzzled, I 
was startled, I was utterly perplexed, and all on 
account of this confounded Black Carnation, which 
was certainly the most obtrusive flower with 
which it had ever been my fortune to meet. 

“ Why should I not see the Black Carnation ? ” 
I asked, in reference to her last remark. 

“ Oh, you see, my father does not show it to 
everyone,” answered Miss Maxwell, with an at- 
tempt at light-heartedness. “ You are very much 
in favor. Major Granby.” 

“ I wish to purchase the plant, if I may.” 

“ Purchase the plant ! ” cried Maxwell, wrath- 
fully. “ Do you think I would sell it ? ” 

“Well, then, let me buy a bud at least.” 

“ No, certainly not.” 

“ My father will not part with a single blossom,” 
said the blind woman, with a laugh ; “ he values 
the plant too highly for that.” 

“ I suppose. you send it to flower shows ? ” 

“ No ! ” answered the gardener, bluntly ; “ it 
never leaves this greenhouse. Indeed, hardly 
anyone knows that such a flower is in exist- 
ence.” 

“There you are wrong,” I observed, quickly; 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


163 


“ all the world knows about the Black Carnation.” 

^ “ All the world,” cried Miss Maxwell, in sur- 

prise; “ why, how can that be. No bud has ever 
been shown to the world. You never saw a Black 
Carnation until to-day.” 

“ Indeed I have. 

u But ” 

“ Edith,” said Maxwell, anxiously, “ let me take 
you to your room. This interview is exhausting 
you.” 

“ By no means,” she replied, quietly. “ I am de- 
lighted to have someone to talk with. I have not 
enjoyed a conversation so much since Mr. Dallas 
was down here.” 

At this name her father started, uttered an 
angry sound, and seemed about to insist upon her 
retiring, but on second thoughts evidently thought 
better of it and turned away. As for me, I was so 
astonished at hearing the name that I did not know 
very well what line of action to take. 

“ Do you know Mr. Dallas, Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Just as I know you. Major Granby. He came 
down to Lippinton some few weeks since.” 

“ And on the same errand ? ” 

“ Well, I don’t know what your errand is.” 

“ I came to buy flowers.” 


164 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Well, Mr. Dallas came to see the famous Black 
Carnation.” 

“ Edith,” cried Maxwell, angrily. 

His daughter took no notice of the hint, and 
went on talking to me. 

“ Like yourself, Mr. Dallas wanted to buy the 
Black Carnation, but of course, my father refused 
to sell him a single bud.” 

“ He did, however.” 

“ Oh, no, you are mistaken.” 

“ Of course. Major Granby is mistaken,” said 
Maxwell, advancing towards us with an angry 
look. “ I did not sell Mr. Dallas a bud, nor did 
he obtain one. Edith, how many flowers are on 
the plant? ” 

“ Twelve.” 

“ You are wrong, there are only eleven.” 

“ What, father, have you sold a bud ? ” 

“ No, but one has been stolen.” 

“ Stolen ! ” said Miss Maxwell, with an aston- 
ished expression on her mobile face, “ and by 
whom? ” 

“ Mr. Dallas,” I said, promptly. 

“ Nothing of the sort,” retorted the gardener, 
quickly; “by Signor Ivan.” 

“ Oh, that singer who was down here,” said Miss 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


165 


Maxwell, carelessly ; “ yes, I remember, he spoke 
about the Black Carnation.” 

This was said in so significant a tone, that Max- 
well bit his lip, as if to keep down his fast-rising 
anger. 

“ He not only spoke of the Black Carnation 
Edith, but he stole a bud.” 

“ But why should he do that ? ” 

“ Ah ! that is the question. Miss Maxwell,” I 
said, boldly, in spite of the furious look darted at 
me by Maxwell. “ I told you I had seen a Black 
Carnation in London.” 

“ Yes ; was it Signor Ivan who showed it to you?” 

“No, I saw it in a law court — in the police 
court.” 

Miss Maxwell grew as pale as death, and shud- 
dered. 

“ What ! what ! ” she began, faintly, when her 
father took her arm, and tried to lead her to the 
door. 

“ Edith ! Edith ! it is nothing ; do go to your 
room. You are ill.” 

“ I will not go to my room,” she cried, suddenly, 
stamping her foot. “ I want to hear the.end of this.” 

“ Major Granby, tell her nothing,” cried Max- 
well, greatly agitated. 


166 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Major Granby, tell me all,” she said, in a com- 
manding tone. “ Why was this Black Carnation 
in a law court ? ” 

The father told me to hold my tongue — the 
daughter ordered me to speak ; so at first I hardly 
knew what to do. I could not understand the 
strange conduct of Maxwell, unless it were that he 
was trying to screen either Dallas or Signor Ivan ; 
but being determined to find out what I could, 
from Miss Maxwell, since her father was so silent, 
I spoke out boldly, 

“ It was evidence in a murder case. ” 

“ A murder case ! ” she echoed, in a sharp tone 
of anguish, “ Mazzucata.” 

I recoiled, when she said this name, for I could 
not conceive how she had derived the connection 
of the flower with the dead woman. Her father, 
however, came to her assistance. 

‘‘ She read the papers, you know, sir, about the 
case.” 

‘‘ Case, what case ? ” cried Miss Maxwell, turn- 
ing round to her father, and clutching his hand. 
“ I have read no papers, what do you mean ? ” 
“You are ill, Edith. Come and lie down,” he 
said, trying to sooth her agitation. 

“ I will not go from here, till I hear all that there 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


167 


is to be told about this case you allude to, Maior 
Granby.” 

“ For God’s sake go,” whispered Maxwell, point- 
ing to the door. 

“He will not go,” said the blind woman, imperh 
ously, overhearing the words. “ I command him 
to stay. Father, I must know all.” 

“ Then hear all,” he cried, furiously, flinging her 
hand away, “ and when you know the truth you 
will be sorry you did not take my advice.” 

He rushed out of the door, leaving me alone with 
the blind girl, and I, astonished at this strange 
scene which served to hint at hidden mysteries, 
stood my ground with the determination to learn 
the truth. Miss Maxwell, with a pale, set face, 
waited till her father’s footsteps died away in the 
distance, then turned towards me with a command- 
ing gesture. 

“ Major Granby, let us sit on this bench. There I 
give me your hand. Now, though I am blind, I 
can tell if you are speaking the truth. Begin.” 

“ About what. Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Tell me about this law case. This murder. 
Who is murdered ? ” 

“ Marietta Mazzucata.” 

She tore her hand from my grasp, and co^^ered 


168 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


her face with a cry of anguish. For a few moments 
she continued thus, then motioned to me to con- 
tinue. 

“ Shall, I go on. Miss Maxwell?” 

» Go on.” 

“ Mazzucata, as you know, is a singer, and was 
engaged to be married to my friend. Sir Gilbert 
Tressinger. On the sixth of May, Mazzucata ar- 
rived in London. On the twelfth she received the 
token of a Black Carnation, warning her that she 
was to die. On the sixteenth she was killed on 
the stage of Covent Garden Opera House by means 
of a dynamite cartridge concealed in a bouquet of 
white flowers with a Black Carnation in the centre.” 

Miss Maxwell sat as though turned into stone, 
then suddenly snatching her hands away from her 
face, broke into a hysterical laugh. 

“ Oh ! it is horrible, horrible.” 

“ It is horrible,” I asserted, gravely, “ both for 
Mazzucata and Gilbert.” 

“ What, the lover ? Is he dead also ! ” 

“ No, but he is at present in prison on suspicion 
of causing the death of Mazzucata.” 

She arose to her feet with a cry of horror. 

“ An innocent man, an innocent man I ” 

“ I know he is innocent, but how do you know? ” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


169 


“ I cannot tell, I cannot tell. Oh ! great heavens, 
how terrible.” 

Her agitation was truly pitiable, and many a 
man would have called for assistance, but I am too 
well used to women to be unprepared for such 
hysterical exhibitions, and promptly produced a 
bottle of smelling salts, which I always carry in 
case of emergencies. Thrusting this into her 
hands I gave her time to recover herself, which, 
with the assistance of the salts, she did speedily. 

“ Major Granby,” she said, at length, in a voice 
very much exhausted by emotion, “ I am glad you 
told me all as you have done. I was completely 
ignorant of this matter, and am surprised that my 
father did not tell me about it.” 

“ He perhaps wished to spare you pain.” 

Miss Maxwell’s lip curled. 

“ I don’t think so,” she answered quietly. “ Oh ! 
never fear, major, I understand my father too well. 
He has no love for me ; it is his flowers he cares 
for, and particularly for that Black Carnation.” 

Which, by the way, seems to be very much 
mixed up in this case.” 

“ Yes, I cannot understand it.” 

“ Do you think. Signor Ivan took the bud your 
father speaks of as being lost ? ” 


170 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ I do not know.” 

“ Do you think Mr. Dallas took it ? ” 

“ I do not know.” 

“ Then if neither of them stole it, who did ? ” 

“ Why do you wish to know ? ” 

“ Because, Miss Maxwell,” I replied, solemnly, 
“ the person who took that bud killed Mazzucata.” 

“ Impossible ! ” 

“ I tell you it is so. Now the person who stole 
that flower must have been down here — in this 
house. Who else was down here besides Signor 
Ivan and Mr. Dallas ? ” 

“No one that I know of.” 

“ Was there a woman ? ” 

“ I am certain there was not. I should have 
known. Why do you ask ? ” 

“ Because I suspect Mazzucata was murdered by 
her maid, lima Celinski.” 

Miss Maxwell rolled her handkerchief up into a 
hard knot. 

“ Why should the maid kill the mistress ? ” she 
asked in a faltering tone. 

“ I don’t know ! I merely suspect she did. ” 

The blind girl said nothing. 

“ Miss Maxwell,” 1 cried, in a pleading tone, 
“ my friend is in prison on a charge of murder. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


171 


My friend is innocent of this charge and you 
know it.” 

“ I ? ” 

“ Yes, you know more about this affair than you 
choose to tell.” 

“ How can that he ? ” she replied, composedly, 
“ a poor blind girl, who sees nothing — who knows 
nothing. You are talking at random. Major 
Granby.” 

“ I am not talking at random. Miss Maxwell ; 
I am convinced you can tell me something if you 
choose. You are the double of Mazzucata — when 
you hear her name you are much agitated — when 
you hear of her death you are thunderstruck. 
You say Mr. Dallas and Signor Ivan have been here ; 
well, those two gentlemen were connected with the 
murdered woman. The Black Carnation which 
you assert has never been out of this greenhouse 
is involved in the case — it is the key to the whole 
mystery. The key of the mystery is here, and in 
this greenhouse is to be solved the problem as to 
who killed Mazzucata, and you know it.” 

During my speech she had risen to her feet, and 
was standing pale and trembling before me. She 
was ill, she was blind, she was a woman, and I felt 
like a brute in thus speaking to her, but Gilbert’s 


172 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


life was at stake, and I felt that she could save 
it if she chose to speak. For some time she kept 
silent but at length she spoke. 

“ Major Granby, I do not know who killed 
Mazzucata. I cannot tell how the Black Carna- 
tion was stolen.” 

“ You deny everything?” 

“ I have nothing to deny.” 

“ Why are you so like Mazzucata in appearance.” 

She glided towards the door like a ghost, as if 
she would escape without replying to my question, 
but I followed her qiiickly. 

“ Who are you — Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ You have said it. I am Miss Maxwell.” 

“ But why are you so like Mazzucata ? ” 

“ Major Granby,” she said, turning round, “ I can 
tell you nothing ; but all you wish to know you 
can learn from Signor Ivan.” 

“ Signor Ivan. What does he know ? ” 

“ He knows everything.” 

I put out my hand, involuntarily, to detain her, 
but she was gone, and I remained alone, transfixed 
with astonishment. 

“ Signor Ivan,” I said, wonderingly. “ Can it 
be, — Oh, impossible ! ” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


173 


MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

It cannot be lima Celinski who killed her 
mistress, though, I confess, appearances are very 
much against her. No, I believe she is innocent ; 
and I am firmly convinced that Signor Ivan is the 
real assassin, for the following reasons : — 

Gilbert told me that Signor Ivan was in love 
with Mazzucata. 

He is a Russian, and consequently passionate, so 
would be jealous. 

Mazzucata was killed by a dynamite cartridge, 
which is a peculiarly Russian idea, savoring of 
Nihilism. 

Signor Ivan picked up the fatal bouquet and 
presented it to Mazzucata. 

Maxwell says that Signor Ivan stole the Black 
Carnation. 

The Black Carnation was placed in the fatal 
bouquet ; so I verily believe that Signor Ivan killed 
the singer out of jealousy. 


174 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER X. 

A MOST COMPLICATED AFFAIR. 

“ A MOST remarkable story,” said Tancred, 
stretching out his long legs. “ A most remarkable 
story.” 

W e were talking together in his Temple chambers, 
for, on returning to Town from Lippinton, I had 
driven straight thither from the station, without a 
thought of going to my rooms before I had told 
Tancred all the events of that day. After Miss 
Maxwell’s astonishing communication regarding 
Signor Ivan, I had left the house, but first, in 
order to give some colorable pretext for my visit, 
ordered some plants. This procedure, however, did 
not impose on Maxwell, as I could see by the ex- 
pression of his face when I said “ Good-bye,” more- 
over he evidently did not think it necessary to make 
any remark concerning his strange behavior. He 
did not even question me as to the result of my 
interview with his daughter ; but I have no doubt, 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


175 


as soon as I left the house, he obtained all necessary 
information from her by his usual process of bully- 
ing. That he suspected Ivan I saw plainly ; but he 
vouchsafed no opinion on the matter, so, as I had 
found out all I could from Miss Maxwell, I took 
my leave. Fortunately, I was able to catch a train 
just as I arrived at the Lippinton station, and 
speedily found myself steaming towards London, 
with my mind full of all kind of ideas. 

My visit, instead of doing anything towards 
clearing up the mystery, only deepened it, and 
now that a new element was introduced in the 
person of Signor Ivan, I foresaw endless complica- 
tions in store for us. I could not but help admir- 
ing the foresight of Tancred regarding the involve- 
ment of Ivan in the affair, and, as before mentioned, 
on my arrival in Town, drove straight to his Tem- 
ple chambers to make my report and hear what he 
had to say on the subject. 

I flatter myself that I told the story in a suffi- 
ciently dramatic style, for Tancred could hardly 
keep still during the recital ; and it was at the end 
of the narrative that he stretched himself out in 
his chair, with the common-place observation, “ A 
most remarkable story.” 

“ You’ve said that twice,” I said, with some im- 


176 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


patience ; for I certainly deserved congratulations, 
which I did not obtain from this dry stick of a 
lawyer. 

“Well,” he replied, coolly, lighting his pipe, “ and 
I’ll say it again, sef^’ng there’s luck in odd num- 
bers. It’s a most remarkable story. Have a cigar, 
major? ” 

“ No, thank you, Tancred, I don’t smoke.” 

“ You ought to, then, especially at the present 
crisis. Your nerves are all jumping about, while 
I am as cool as a cucumber. Tobacco soothes the 
nervous system, my dear major.” 

“ Are you not astonished ? ” 

“ Yes, and no.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“I am not astonished at your finding out about 
the visit of Signor Ivan, for, if you recollect, I 
prophesied that same. But as to this duplicate 
likeness of Mazzucata, yes. I am very much 
astonished at Miss Maxwell.” 

“ Well, and what do you think? ” 

“I can’t tell you until I arrange my ideas in due 
order. When you have a ball of tangled string, 
you first find the beginning and unravel it slowly 
and judiciously. Good, let us find our beginning, 
and we will unravel Miss Maxwell’s connection 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


177 


with Ivan — Ivan’s connection with Mazzucata, and 
her connection with Maxwell. It’s all in a circle, 
you see.” 

“ What do 'you mean ? Surely you don’t think 

Uo . 

“ Gently, major, gently. We must begin at the 
beginning. First, we will take Signor Ivan. 
Now, you remember I was suspicious about our 
Russian friend, seeing he picked out that bouquet, 
for presentation to Mazzucata, from among a mass 
of others. I knew you would hear something 
about him at Lippinton, so, to meet you half way 
and come to some conclusion regarding the guilt 
or innocence of this man, I made some inquiries.” 

“ You couldn’t find out much in twelve hours.” 

“ Ah ! I did not tell you I employed Mel- 
chizedek.” 

“ One of the ten lost tribes ? ” 

“ No, one of the two that remained at home,” 
retorted Tancred, dryly. “ Well, Melchizedek is a 
wonder. He can find out anything, and he has 
found out a few episodes of Ivan’s past life to 
which I wish to call your attention.” 

“ Is he a detective.” 

“ Who, Signor Ivan ? ” asked the lawyer, provok- 
ingly. 


12 


178 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ No, confound it. Mel — what’s his name? ” 

“ Melchizedek. Yes, he has a private inquiry 
office, and finds out all sorts of things people don’t 
wish known.” 

“ What a horrible profession.” 

“ A very paying one, at all events, and Melchiz- 
edek charges pretty highly, I can tell you.” 

“ He wouldn’t be a Jew if he didn’t.” 

“ Probably not. However, he gives full value 
for the money. Now, my dear major, listen to 
this, and admire the dexterity with which our 
Jewish friend in twelve hours has found out what 
we wish to know.” 

He took a sheet of foolscap covered with writing 
from his desk, and began to read out a series of 
notes made by Melchizedek, commenting thereon 
when explanations were required. 

“Ivan Ivanvitch, born at Moscow in 1856, nat- 
ural son of a nobleman and peasant girl. Went 
to Milan in 1876 to study for the lyric stage — 
made his dShut in 1881 as Raoul in Les Huguenots 
— sang with great success in all the principal Euro- 
pean opera houses — ^has been in England for three 
seasons — ^has sang frequently with Mazzucata.” 

“ Well,” said I, interrupting this bold statement. 
“ all this is very interesting from a chronological 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


179 


point of view ; but what has it to do with the 
murder ? ” 

“Wait a minute,” replied Tancred, in nowise 
ruffled by my interruption. “ You see by the fore- 
going, that being a lyric artist, Ivan has been 
more or less connected with Mazzucata.” 

“ And the result is love.” 

“Precisely. Your intelligence is wonderful, 
major. Yes, he was deeply in love with Mazzu- 
cata, but she would have nothing to do with him. 
Like our friend, Dallas, he said that he would 
rather see her dead than married to anyone but 
himself.” 

“ Oh, did he ? What a dog in the manger there 
is about these young men. Because they couldn’t 
get the singer for themselves, they wouldn’t let 
anyone else marry her.” 

“ Man is the most selfish of all animals,” said, 
Tancred, sententiously ; “ but to proceed — Ivan, 
besides being a lover, was also a patriot.” 

“You use the past tense. Is he not a patriot 
now ? ” 

“ Yes, of course he is, but I am reading from 
Melchizedek’s notes,” retorted the lawyer, impa- 
tiently. “We’ll never get on if you interrupt, 
major.** 


180 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


“ I beg your pardon. Proceed.” 

“ Ivan,” resumed Tancred, bending his brows 
over the Jew’s scratchy handwriting, “ is a patriot, 
and has been mixed up more or less with Nihilism.” 

“ I see,” cried I, in a state of great excitement ; 
“ and he induced Mazzucata to join a secret society, 
who killed her through Ivan because she revealed 
its secrets.” 

“ Nothing of the sort,” said Tancred, in despair, 
laying down the manuscript ; ‘‘ nothing of the sort.” 

No one can say I am not a veracious writer, for 
I have put down everything connected with this 
case in detail, even to the sacrifice of my own 
dignity. I considered my theory of a secret society 
to be excellent, and was not at all pleased with the 
crushing way in which Tancred pooh-poohed my idea. 
But these lawyers have no imagination, and confine 
themselves entirely to fact, which, for my part, I 
consider very dry reading without the aid of fancy. 
My suggestion was at least feasible, and Tancred, 
need not have been so severe on my deduction, 
nevertheless, he was severe, and such severity I 
set down in due form, though I am much averse 
to appearing in so humiliating a position before 
the public. Still the truth is the truth, and I 
stictly adhere to it throughout this history, so that 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


181 


every one may see what indignities I suffered in 
my efforts to discover the assassin of Mazzucata. 

“ My dear major,” said Tancred, after a pause, 
during which he glared at me in the most aggres- 
sive fashion, “ don’t interrupt me again, or you 
will not be able to understand the connection of 
Ivan with the case.” 

“Well, go on,” I replied, philosophically, “I 
won’t say a word, but I reseiwe my right to criti- 
cize at the end of the performance.” 

I could not help making this ironical remark in 
the hope that Tancred would feel ashamed of his 
conduct, b'uf he was not at all ashamed — on the 
contrary, he smiled, and resumed his reading. 

“ Ivan has been involved in several Nihilistic 
plots, the last of which nearly cost him his liberty. 
For the sake of his great genius as a lyric artist, how- 
ever, the Czar contented himself with banishing him 
from Russia. Abroad, Ivan has still carried on his 
plots against the Romankoff Dynasty, and is par- 
ticularly interested in infernal machines.” 

“ Oh ! ” I cried, half rising, but remembering my 
promise I fell back in my chair, while Tancred read 
on hurriedly, so as to give me no further chance 
of interrupting him. 

“ There is a man in London, who makes these 


182 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


dynamite bombs with clock work, timed to explode 
at a certain moment, and Ivan is frequently in his 
company. This man, Kutusoff, by name, lives 
near Soho Square, and has frequently been seen in 
conference with Ivan.” 

Here Tancred paused, and deliberately folding 
up the manuscript, put it away, a proceeding which 
somewhat surprised me, as I could not think the 
notes of Melchizedek had come to such an abrupt 
conclusion. 

“ Well, Tancred,” I said, after a pause, seeing 
he kept silence, “ is that all ? ” 

“ All ! ” he repeated, in surprise. “ Isn’t it 
enough? It shows us that Ivan was in love with 
Mazzucata, and mad with jealousy. That he was, 
and is, the intimate friend of a maker of infernal 
machines.” 

“ Afterwards ? ” 

“ Afterwards, my dear major. Can’t you put 
two and two together ? According to your story, 
as constructed out of your interview with Maxwell, 
this Russian called down at Lippinton, and stole 
from thence a Black Carnation. According to my 
story, he is well acquainted with this Kutusoff who 
is an expert in dynamite cartridge manufacture. 
What is easier for him, than to make, with the as- 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


183 


sistance of his friend, that fatal bouquet, and have 
it thrown at Mazzucata on the stage. His quick 
eye picks out the special bunch of flowers by means 
of the Black Carnation. He knows the cartridge 
is timed to explode by a certain moment. He gives 
the bouquet to Mazzucata, and then — well you 
know the rest.” 

“ Then you think he committed the crime ? ” 

“Well, at present I think so.” 

“ Why at present ? ” 

“ Because who knows what new developments 
may take place in this case, and throw us out of 
our calculations. After lima Celinski’s evidence, 
I thought it was she who had murdered her mis- 
tress, at the instigation of your Mr. Dallas. Now, 
I know that Dallas had nothing to do with the 
affair, in spite of the case we have so carefully con- 
structed against him. No, it was Ivan who obtained 
the Black Carnation from Lippinton. It was Ivan 
who obtained the clock-work cartridge from Kutu- 
soff, and it was Ivan who was the lover of lima 
Celinski.” 

“ A Russian and a Pole — oh, absurd.” 

“ Love knows no nationalities, my friend ; so 
why should not this Polish girl love a Russian, 
even though he belong to a nation hated by her 


184 


THE BLACK CAENATION. 


countrymen. Yes, believe me, major, I am right. 
This girl loves Ivan, and changed those bouquets 
at his request.” 

“ Then you still believe those bouquets were 
changed ? ” 

“I do.” 

“And that the fatal bouquet was thrown by 
Gilbert? ” 

“Yes; but I am hesitating as to whether the 
bouquets were changed at the H6tel Europa or at 
the theatre, when Tressinger was absent from his 
seat.” 

“ If they were changed in the theatre, lima Cel- 
inski could not have done so.” 

“ No ! no ! You are right. How stupid of me,” 
said Tancred, in a vexed tone, rising to his feet. 
“ I am not infallible — I make mistakes — it is only 
your detective of romance that is never wrong. 
But I am convinced that this girl lima is mixed 
up in the affair, else why should she give false 
evidence against Sir Gilbert.” 

“Yes, indeed; and why should Dallas post 
Black Carnations from Paris, when he has nothing 
to do with the commission of the crime ? ” 

“Oh, the deuce ! I am completely at sea. You 
may laugh at me, major, but it is no laughing 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


185 


matter, especially for your friend. I cannot recon- 
cile all these conflicting statements, and whether 
the crime was committed by Dallas, lima, or Ivan, 

I am at a loss to say.” - ' 

“Well, how are we to proceed?” 

“ Ask me something easier.” 

“ You surely don’t abandon the case ? ” 

“ No, I do not, but I am doubtful for the moment 
as to what is the best course to pursue.” 

“ Why not ask Melchizedek.” 

“ A good idea. I’ll see him to-night, so I will 
tell him the whole facts of the case, and obtain his 
opinion. You and I, Major Granby, are only ama- 
teur bloodhounds, and liable to error. We require 
a professional man hunter.” 

“ Who is also liable to error.” 

“ True ! true ! Still Melchizedek is used to 
these perplexities, and may spy a way out of this * 
labyrinth where we see none. I think it will be 
best to give the case into his hands.” 

“ No, Tancred,” I said, firmly ; “I have taken up 
this case, and am determined to find out the 
truth.” 

“ Melchizedek will do that for you.” 

“ I prefer to do it myself.” 

“ Well, well, major, have your own way ; but do 


186 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


not forget that this is no holiday task — a man’s 
life is at stake.” 

“ We will ask Melchizedek to assist us,” I sug- 
gested, willing to meet the lawyer half-way, seeing 
that the case was of so grave a complexion. 

“ Certainly. I think that would he the wisest 
plan. I think I can guess what he will suggest.” 

“ Well ? ” 

“ That we should interview three people.” 

“ Dallas, Ivan, lima.” 

“ Exactly. My dear major, you are truly an 
admirable detective. We must see Dallas, and 
find out the reason for his extraordinary proceed- 
ings regarding the Black Carnation.” 

“ But he is out of town.” 

‘‘ No, he isn’t. Melchizedek found out that he 
has returned.” 

‘‘And lima?” 

“We must discover her motives also, and her 
connection with Ivan or Dallas.” 

“ By the way, I told you Dallas also had been 
to Lippinton.” 

“ Yes ; perhaps he stole the Black Carnation.” 

“ In that case, Ivan must be innocent.” 

“ I don’t know ! They each might have stolen 
one, and while Dallas sent his bud from Paris to 


THE BLACK CABNATlON. 187 

frighten Mazzucata, Ivan might have used his for 
the infernal bouquet.” 

“ No, that is impossible, and I will tell you why. 
This carnation plant had twelve blossoms, now 
there are but eleven, so only one bud could have 
been stolen.” 

“ In that case, the same bud must have been 
used for the warning and the bouquet.” 

“ Which suggestion points straight to Ilma’s 
evidence regarding Gilbert taking the Black Car- 
nation from the Hotel Europa and putting it in 
the bouquet.” 

“You are right, but if you recollect, I surmised 
that Dallas was also in the room, so he also might 
have taken the carnation from the glass of water 
and put it in the bouquet, after which the girl 
changed them.” 

“ Then they could not have been changed at the 
theatre.” 

Tancred made no reply, but drummed on the 
table with his fingers, in a most irritating manner. 

“ Besides,” said I, thoughtfully, “ if what you 
say is correct, it proves the guilt of Dallas, and the 
innocence of Ivan.” 

“ It does ! it does ! I am completely bewildered. 
But there’s one thing I wish to find out.” 


188 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Yes?” 

‘‘ What Ivan knows about Miss Maxwell.” 

“Do you think he knows anything?” I asked, 
sceptically. 

“ Well, she hinted to you that he did. When 
we hear what Ivan has to say about her, it may 
throw some light on the present darkness.” 

“ Ivan may refuse to open his mouth.” 

“ It’s not impossible. But seeing how he is 
mixed up in this affair, in order to clear his own 
character, it will be wiser for him to speak.” 

“ Ho may explain everything.” 

“It’s to be hoped he will for his own sake. 
What’s your opinion of the case, major ? ” 

“ My dear young friend,” I said solemnly, for at 
the moment, I felt solemn, “ I cannot give you my 
opinion at present, for it changes at every new 
aspect of the case. I had a theory respecting the 
guilt of Dallas — then one about a secret society — 
a third making out that lima Celinski was guilty, 
and my last idea was in favor of Ivan being the 
criminal, which theory my conversation with you 
has just upset. Four theories, and as far as I can 
see, all wrong.” 

Tancred roused. 

“ My dear major, both of us are poor hands at 


TUE BLACK CABNATION, 


189 


this sort of business, so I really think we had better 
leave the case in the hands of our Hebrew friend.” 

“ Melchizedek ? ” 

“ Yes. That name means King of Justice, you 
know, so perhaps in this case, he will prove his 
right to the name, by bringing this cunning 
assassin to the gallows.” 

“ It’s a most extraordinary case.” 

“ It is a case, which, if written in a book, would 
cause the reader to say, ‘ Oh, ridiculous ! such a 
thing never took place,’ but then you know, my 
dear Major Granby, ‘ truth is stranger than fiction,’ 
as this affair of the opera-house proves. When it 
is all over we will write a book on it, major, and 
make our fortune out of it as a shilling shocker.” 


190 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


CHAPTER XI. 

THE MISSING LINK. 

The next day, I had the pleasure of being intro- 
duced by Tancred to Melchizedek, Avho was an 
ugly little Jew with an intelligent eye. Indeed, 
he put me very much in mind of the Baron of 
Cranstown’s goblin page, owing to his dwarfish 
looks, and I suspect his nature was not very dis- 
similar, for there was a malicious look on his wizen 
face. Notwithstanding this unprepossessing ex- 
terior, he was remarkably shrewd, and listened 
attentively to Trancred’s recital of all the evidence 
we had collected together touching on Mazzucata’s 
death. At the conclusion of this narration both 
Tancred and myself waited to hear what remarks 
Melchizedek would make thereon, but to our sur- 
prise he held his tongue. 

“Well, Melchizedek, what is your opinion?” 
asked Tancred, impatiently. The Jew twisted his 
soft hat into a ball in his thin hands, and looked 
at the lawyer cunningly, with his keen black eyes. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


191 


“ I ’ave none,” he said, briefly, and again shut 
up like an oyster. 

“ Will you undertake the case ? ” demanded 
Tailored, in nowise disturbed by this reticence. 

Melchizedek nodded, being a gentleman who 
evidently appreciated the value of words, and 
therefore wasted none. 

“You will be paid well ! ” 

Melchizedek nodded again, and smiled in an 
appreciative manner, after which, evidently deem- 
ing the interview to be at an end, he arose from 
his chair and shuffled towards the door. 

“ Where are you going ? ” I asked, curious to 
know what position this queer creature intended 
to take up. 

“ Lippinton,” answered Melchizedek, and there- 
upon vanished, leaving Tancred and myself look- 
ing at one another in surprise. 

“ I cannot congratulate you on his intelligence,” 
said I, shrugging my shoulders ; “ do you think 
he’ll find out anything at Lippinton? ” 

“ He’ll find out all that there is to be discov- 
ered,” retorted Tancred, rather displeased at my 
remark ; “ never judge by appearances, major. 
That man, dull as you deem him, is one of the 
sharpest detectives in London.” 


192 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


“ Egad, he’ll need all his sharpness to find out 
the truth of this affair.” 

“ Well, he evidently thinks that the truth is to 
he found at Lippinton, although, I confess, I don’t 
see how he has arrived at such a conclusion. 
However, I am quite content to leave matters in 
his hands, and wait until he makes his report, 
which, I am certain, will go a great way towards 
solving the mystery, if indeed it does not explain 
the whole matter.” 

“ And, until he makes his report, I suppose we 
are to remain quiet.” 

“ By no means. What about your detective 
fever, major? ” 

“ It is worse than ever.” 

“ Well, I will be your physician to-day, and cure 
you for the time being. It is now one o’clock,” 
continued Tancred, glancing at his watch, “ so I 
think we had better have some luncheon, and 
afterwards call on Ivan.” 

“ Call on Ivan ! ” 

“Yes. After your story last night, I wrote, 
asking him to make an appointment for to-day, as 
I wished to see him on business.” 

“ On Mazzucata’s business ? ” 

“No. I did not specialize any business, so as 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


193 


not to put him on his guard ; well, this morning, 
he sent up a messenger from the H6tel Europa, 
asking me to call between two and three o’clock 
this afternoon.” 

“ Is he staying at the H6tel Europa ? ” 

“ Yes. Wanted to be near Mazzucata, I sup- 
pose. But what about luncheon ? ” 

“ Come with me to the Old Friends,” I said, and 
on his accepting the invitation, we left his cham- 
bers, and drove at once to St. James’ Street. 

Unfortunately, owing to our appointment with 
Signor Ivan we were unable to linger over our 
luncheon as I would have wished, which in itself 
was sufficient to put me out of temper. If there 
is one thing of which I am careful, it is my diges- 
tion, and a hurried meal is an experience which I 
am much averse to undergoing, especially as the 
Old Friends’ cook had provided a most delightful 
repast. As it was, we had to devour our food with 
the utmost celerity, and then, without time for a 
soothing smoke, hurry off to the H6tel Europa in 
order to see Ivan. Truly, detective fever is an 
unpleasant disease, as it upsets the entire system 
with a constant rusli of thought and employment. 
On giving our cards, we were taken at once to 

Siffnor Ivan, and ascended in the lift to the third 
13 


19.4 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


floor of the hotel, where the singer had his rooms. 
The apartment into which we were shown, was 
furnished in a tint of dull red, and the windows 
looked out on to Northumberland avenue. There 
was also a grand piano covered with loose sheets 
of music, and the scores of various operas, numbers 
of photographs, among which we espied one of 
Mazzucata, and in one corner of the room a slender 
rapier with mother-of-pearl handle, doubtless the 
sword of some stage hero. Far below, from the 
windows we could see the traffic flowing through 
Irhe street, but the noise of the moving multitude 
came but faintly to our ears. Neither of us spoke 
a word, for, being as we thought on the verge of a 
tremendous discovery Avhich involved the death of 
a man, we felt disinclined for conversation, and 
remained silent, looking out of the window into 
the abyss below. 

Suddenly, we heard a door open, and turned 
sharply, to see Signor Ivan standing on the thres- 
hold with a conventional smile on his face. This 
famous tenor, this secret conspirator, this suspected 
criminal, was a tall, handsome young man with a 
mild expression of countenance. His tartar origin 
was betrayed by his high cheek bones, and his 
somewhat narrow eyes, but otherwise his features 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


195 


were very good, which led me to suspect, what I 
afterwards discovered to be the case, that his 
mother was of Circassian nationality. 

Advancing towards us in silence, he placed 
his feet close together, and bowed in continental 
fashion, after which, he begged us to be seated, 
and placing himself on the sofa, awaited our 
explanation regarding the reason of our visit.” 

“ You speak English, Signor Ivan,” said Tan- 
cred, noting with a sigh of relief that the singer’s 
first speech was in that tongue. 

“ Oh, yes,” replied Ivan, slowly, but distinctly. 
“ I have spoken English for many years ; so, if it 
shall please you, we will converse in that language, 
unless,” he added laughing, “ you prefer French, 
Italian, Spanish, Russian, or German.” 

“I prefer my own language, thank you,” an- 
swered Tancred, also smiling ; for, really, the man- 
ners of the young man were very ingratiating; 
“ and so, doubtless, would Major Granby.” 

As my knowledge of foreign tongues is entirely 
confined to French, as rendered by the novels of 
Gyp, Mendes, Malot, and Loti, I- hastily assented 
to Tancred’s proposition, as the interview was too 
important to run the risk of any misunderstand- 


196 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


ing on account of Parisian idioms and colloquia- 
lisms. 

“ Very well, gentlemen, we will talk English,” 
assented Signor Ivan, with another smile. “ And 
now, may I ask your reasons for this inter- 
view ? ” 

“We were told to see you by Miss Maxwell,” 
said I, pointedly. 

Ivan started violently, and flushed red under 
his sallow skin. 

“ Miss Maxwell ! ” 

“ Yes, of Lippinton, where you went to see her 
about the Black Carnation.” 

I saw Ivan was pressing his hands together with 
such force that the knuckles grew white, from 
which I judged, that he was striving to suppress 
some strong emotion, caused by my unexpected 
remarks. 

“ Miss Maxwell ! Lippinton ! Black Carna- 
tion ! ” he stammered, hurriedly. “ Really, mon- 
sieur, I am at a loss to understand the meaning of 
these words.” 

“ Signor Ivan,” said Tancred, suddenly, “ we 
have come to see you about the murder of Madame 
Mazzucata.” 

“ Indeed,” replied Ivan, coolly, having now re- 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


197 


covered his nerve. “ I told all I knew about that 
affair to the judge in open court.” 

“ You told repeated Tancred, with a marked 
emphasis on the last word. 

“ All I was asked by the advocate. Ah ! ” ejacu- 
lated the singer, with a start, “ I know you now ; 
you are the advocate of Sir Gilbert.” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Then, why did you not question me in court. 
Monsieur VAvoeat? Why do you come here to 
ask me about things of which I know noth- 
ing?” 

“ Are you sure you know nothing ? ” 

“ Monsieur ! ” cried Ivan, in a rage, springing 
to his feet. 

“ I beg your pardon. Signor Ivan,” said Tancred, 
suavely ; “ I do not mean to be personal, but my 
friend here has seen Miss Maxwell ” 

“ Who says that you know more of this matter 
than you revealed in court,” I finished, neatly. 

The singer reflected for a few moments with a 
serious face, evidently debating in his own mind 
as to the best course to be pursued. 

“ What I do know throws but little light on the 
crime,” he said, at length, with marked hesita- 
tion. 


198 the black carnation, 

“ If it throws any light at all we shall be grate- 
ful,” observed Tancred, bluntly. “ Come, Signor 
Ivan, tell the reason of your visit to Lippinton.” 

“ I do not see that I am called on to do that.” 

“ On the contrary, it is your duty to tell us 
all.” , 

“ And for what reason. Monsieur VAvocat ? ” 

“For the strongest of all reasons. You may 
save the life of an innocent man, who is at present 
in great peril.” 

“ Sir Gilbert Tressinger ? ” 

“Yes. You know he is accused of this crime, 
and you know he is guiltless.” 

“ How do I know he is guiltless ? ” demanded 
Ivan, sharply. “You assume too much, mon- 
sieur.” 

“ What is the use of all this fencing ? ” I broke 
in, impatiently, for my temper was rising. “ Either 
Signor Ivan will tell all he knows, or he will not.” 

“ Suppose he will not ? ” said Ivan, coolly. 

“ In that case, I will go down again to Lippin- 
ton, and ask Miss Maxwell to reveal that which 
you wish to be kept silent.” 

“ I do not wish it to be kept silent,” said the 
signor, indignantly. “ It has nothing to do with 


me. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


199 


“ Perhaps not,” interposed Tancred, promptly ; 
“ but it may have a good deal to do with Kutusoff ! ” 

“ Kutusoff ! ” repeated Ivan, with the most ad- 
mirable self-possession, though his face turned 
gray. “ And who is Kutusoft ? ” 

“ I don’t think I need tell you that. Signor Ivan.” 

“ And why not. Monsieur VAvocat ? ” 

“ Because I know all about him and about you,” 
said the lawyer, sharply ; “ it’s no use your pre- 
tending ignorance. Signor Ivan, for I know every- 
thing.” 

“ If so, why come and ask me for information ? ” 

“Because you may be able to exculpate yourself.” 

“ And from what ? ” 

“ Participation in the murder of Mazzucata.” 

“ Monsieur ! ” cried the singer, in an enraged, 
tone, “ you go too far. I am not a good tem- 
pered man, and I will not put up with your insults 
much longer.” 

“ What will you do. Signor Ivan. Call me out. 
I beg to decline. We are not in France.” 

“ Monsieur ! ” 

“ Gentlemen ! gentlemen ! ” I said, stepping 
quickly between the two men, who were now 
standing opposite to one another, in anything but 
friendly attitudes ; “ do not behave like children. 


200 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Tancred, keep your temper, as all men in your 
profession should. Signor Ivan will, I am sure, 
supply us with all information about that cart- 
ridge.” 

“ What cartridge, monsieur ! ” 

“ That with which Mazzucata was killed ! ” 

“ I know nothing about it.” 

“ Do you not ? ” said Tancred, who had resumed 
his seat, “ then perhaps Kutusoff does.” 

“ I tell you, monsieur, I know no gentleman of 
that name.” 

“ He tells a very different story.” 

“ Why ! what did he say about me ? ” 

“ Humph ! that doesn’t sound as if you didn’t 
know him,” said Tancred, delighted at having 
caught Ivan in a trap ; “ come, sir, it is no use 
your pretending ignorance in this way. You are 
an intimate friend of Kutusoff, who made that 
clock-work dynamite cartridge, which you placed 
in the bouquet, with the Black Carnation.” 

“ I didn’t, monsieur. I lost that cartridge.” 

“ Oh ! ” I cried, before Tancred could speak, 
“ then you admit having had that cartridge from 
Kutusoff.” 

Ivan stamped with rage at having made this 
mistake, and tried to nullify his admission in a 


THS BLACK CARNATION, 


201 


very clumsy manner, quite unworthy of a presum- 
ably acute conspirator. 

“ I received a cartridge, certainly, from Kutusoff, 
but I did not receive the cartridge which killed 
Mazzucata.” 

“ I thought you did not know Kutusoff,” said 
Tancred, ironically. The singer was nonplussed 
for a moment, and then burst out laughing, in 
nowise ashamed at having been caught tripping. 

“ Monsieur VAvoeat^ you are an excellent antag- 
onist,” he said, good-humoredly ; “ pray sit down 
— ^you also M. Granby, we will talk over this 
matter, and I will tell you all I know about it ; but 
I warn you, that it will not assist you in any way.” 

“ Well, let us hear your story first,” said Tan- 
cred, delighted at this unexpected surrender, “ we 
can then judge for ourselves.” 

“ I suppose you know I am a Nihilist, monsieur,” 
remarked Ivan, airily, “ at least, I assume you do, 
seeing you know I am a friend of Kutusoff.” 

“ Who is a Nihilist, pure and simple.” 

“ Who is a Nihilist, without being either pure or 
simple,” retorted Ivan, dryly, “ he is a man who 
advocates reform in Russia by violent means, such 
as bombs and assassinations. I, on the other hand, 
trust to Time and the advancement of civilization.” 


202 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ If SO, why do you meddle with conspiracies?” 

“ Because I wish to see reform in Russia within 
a reasonable time. I am not what you would call 
a Nihilist, though I get the name of being one of 
those people who desire the upset of anything. 
All I wish is to see my dear country with a 
civilized constitution, and not dependent on the 
caprices of a despot.” 

“ A very modest desire, truly,” said I, ironically, 
being perfectly well acquainted with this cant of 
Anarchists, “ yet one which cost you dear.” 

“ It cost me exile from my native land,” sighed 
Ivan, regretfully, “ and had it not been that I was 
a singer, I should have been exiled to Siberia.” 

“ W ell, you don’t seem to appreciate the clemency 
of the Czar, seeing you now conspire against 
him.” 

“ Clemency ! clemency ! ” cried the Russian, Ids 
eyes flashing at the word, ‘‘ why call it clemency ? 
The Czar has enough sins to answer for without 
having my death on his shoulders. But it is no 
use talking to you comfortable English about our 
troubles — only experience would teach you what 
tyranny we groan under in Russia. I will say no 
more on the subject, save that I am desirous of 
gaining a constitution for the Muscovite Empire, 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


203 


but not by foul means. Kutusoff would stick at 
nothing to gain what we desire for our native land. 
I draw the line at secret assassination by means of 
infernal machines.” 

“ Yet, you are a friend of Kutusoff,” hinted 
Tancred, with a grim smile. 

“ As you say, I am a friend of Kutusoff,” replied 
Ivan, with cold dignity ; “ yes, because I know that 
however misguided he may be, he is a good man 
who has suffered for the sake of his patriotic 
principles. Yes, I am a friend of Kutusoff — I 
honor him. He is a man who ought to occupy a 
« great position.” 

Which he certainly will, some day — on the 
gallows.” 

“You don’t understand. Major Granby,” said 
Ivan impatiently, “ how can you understand, you 
that have lived in peace and security all your life. 
But this is not to the point. As you say — as I say, 
Kutusoff is my friend, and I frequently call on him 
to discuss the position of Russian politics.” 

“We are all attention,” murmured Tancred, 
seeing the singer hesitate. 

“Well,” resumed Ivan, after a pause, “some 
weeks ago when I called on him, he showed me 
a new infernal machine. A dynamite cartridge, 


204 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


which looks innocent enough, yet on touching a 
spring, it explodes. But stay, I will show you 
one.” 

He went to his desk, and taking from thence 
what looked like a roll of white paper bound with 
brass at either end, held it up for our inspection. 
I stretched out my hand to take it, but Ivan drew 
it back with a slight smile. 

“ Excuse me, monsieur, hut I dare not place it 
in your hands. You might touch the spring by 
chance, and then we would meet with the same 
fate as the unhappy singer.” 

“ Ugh ! ” cried Tancred, pushing back his chair, 
“ what a horrible idea.” 

“ You see this,” resumed the singer, pointing to 
a tiny brass point at the side of the cartridge, 
“ that, if touched, explodes the machine. There- 
fore, if a careless person grasped the whole cartridge, 
a catastrophe is bound to ensue. Such was the 
fate of Mazzucata.” 

“ Then she was killed by one of these devilish 
machines ! ” 

“ Yes, I believe she was.” 

“ Then you know who killed her.” 

“No, I do not, but I will tell you all, and you 
can draw your own conclusions. Kutusoff gave 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


205 


me one of these cartridges to take home and 
examine, I placed it carefully in a cardboard box 
to render it innocuous, and put it in my pocket. 
Then I lost it.” ♦ 

“ But where ? ” 

“ I haven’t the slightest idea. But my impression 
is, that some one picked it up and placed it in 
that fatal bouquet.” 

“ You have no idea who could have picked it 
up?” 

“Not the slightest.” 

Tancred and I looked at each other sceptically, 
at which Ivan became agitated, 

“ I swear on my honor, messieurs, that I do 
not know what became of that cartridge. I lost 
it ; but. when or where, I know not. I had nothing 
to do with the death of Mazzucata.” 

“If you had, I do not suppose you would speak 
so openly,” replied, Tancred soothingly ; “ but you 
must admit circumstances are strong against you. 
Look here. Signor Ivan, you admit having this 
cartridge ; you say it must have caused the death 
of Madame Mazzucata ; and it was you who pre- 
sented her with the fatal bouquet : all this looks 
bad.” 

“ I admit it. Monsieur VAvoeat^ I admit it,” said 


206 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


Ivan, quickly ; “ but I can explain. I did possess 
that cartridge ; but I lost it, and know not who 
picked it up. As to my choosing that bouquet on 
the stage, to give to Madame Mazzucata, I did so 
at the request of a friend.’^ 

“ And that friend ? ” 

Ivan paused, for a moment, and then turned 
away his head. 

“ Can you bear a shock, messieurs ? ” 

“ Yes, yes.” 

“ The friend who asked me to choose the bou- 
quet was Sir Gilbert Tressinger.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


207 


CHAPTER XII. 

AN ASTONISHING STORY. 

There was a dead silence, lasting at least a 
minute, during which time, I looked at Tancred, 
who looked at me, and then, by mutual consent, 
we looked at the man who had made this startling 
statement. 

“ I cannot believe that Sir Gilbert is guilty,” 
I said, at length, in a voice which I acknowledge 
was a trifle tremulous. 

“ I did not say he was, monsieur,” responded 
Ivan, delicately ; “ I merely stated that he asked 
me to pick up the bouquet when it was thrown, 
and present it to madame.” 

“ How did you know which bouquet to select 
out of all those lying on the stage ? ” asked Tan- 
cred, reflectively. 

‘‘ Sir Gilbert sent a note round to me shortly 
before the opera began, saying he had failed to 
give Madame Mazzucata a bouquet at her hotel, 


208 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


and would, therefore, throw it to her at the end of 
the great scene in the third act. He, therefore, 
requested me to pick up his bouquet and present 
it to madame, saying, I would recognize it by its 
white flowers and single black rose.” 

“ Black Carnation, you mean,” said I, disbeliev- 
ingly. 

“ No ; a black rose.” 

“ Have you the note. Signor Ivan ? ” demanded 
Tancred. 

“ I regret to say that I have not. I tore it up 
after reading it, and now, all trace of it is lost. 
But I distinctly recollect the description of the 
bouquet as being white flowers, with a black rose.” 

“ That, then,” said the lawyer, deliberately, 
“ proves Sir Gilbert to be innocent ; for all that 
story of his failing to give Mazzucata the bouquet 
at the hotel is perfectly true. His bouquet, as de- 
scribed by Phillis & Co., was of the kind you de- 
scribe. Oh, yes ; those flowers he asked you to 
pick up were perfectly harmless.” 

“ Yet they killed Mazzucata, monsieur.” 

“ Sir Gilbert’s flowers did not kill Mazzucata. 
Those you picked up contained a Black Carnation 
— not a black rose ; and, in the hurry of the mo- 
ment, you did not notice the difference. All you 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


209 


saw was that the bouquet was white with a black 
centre, and picked up the fatal bunch which caused 
the death of the prima-donna.” 

“ Then Sir Gilbert did not throw those flowers? ” 
said Ivan, in great perplexity. 

“ Ah ! that I cannot say. But if he did, with- 
out doubt, the bouquet was changed, either at the 
Hotel Europa, or at the theatre.” 

“ But who possessed a similar bouquet ? ” 

“ A man you do not know, Signor Ivan — Mr. 
Dallas.” 

Ivan started, and looked towards Tancred, with 
an expression of surprise. 

“ Was that the man who loved madame ? ” 

“ Yes,” said Tancred. 

“ Who went down to Lippinton in search of a 
Black Carnation ? ” 

“ Yes,” said I, quickly ; “ but I did not know he 
went there for that flower, though he must have 
done so, in order to send Mazzucata the bud from 
Paris.” 

“ Did M. Dallas send her a Black Carnation 
from Paris ? 

“ He did.” 

“ Then, Maxwell was right,” muttered Ivan, 
under his breath. 


17 


210 the black carnation, 

“ Maxwell ! ” I cried,, with lively interest. 
“ What ! did he accuse Dallas of killing Mazzu- 
cata ? ” 

“ I did not say that,” responded Ivan, deliber- 
ately, “but he certainly mentioned the name of 
Dallas in connection with the affair.” 

“ Tell us all about it, signor.” 

“ One moment,” cried Tancred, raising his hand 
to enforce silence, “ Signor Ivan, may I ask if you 
suspected Sir Gilbert to be guilty ? ” 

“ Yes,” answered Ivan, firmly, “ I did. I thought 
the bouquet I picked up was his — by the explosion 
of that bouquet madame was killed, and I knew 
nothing of the substitution of Black Carnation for 
Black Rose as described by lima Celinski.” 

“ All that evidence was false, as I can prove,” 
said the barrister, coolly ; “ but if you thought Sir 
Gilbert was guilty, why did you not denounce 
him?” 

Signor Ivan looked down at the floor, and blushed 
deeply. 

“ He was to be married to Mazzucata,” he said, 
in a voice of emotion. “I also loved her. 1 was 
his rival. Would you have me behave in a mean 
fashion, and denounce him to the law because he 
was more successful than myself in gaining the 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


211 


woman we both loved? No! I could not do 
that ; I held mj peace.” 

“ Those sentiments do you credit, M. Ivan,” 
said Tancred dryly, “ still they are a trifle weak to 
account for your silence. It was your duty to 
bring this criminal to justice if you believed him 
guilty.” 

“ Others could swear away his life and punish him 
for his crime. Monsieur VAvocat^ so why should I 
interfere. Had he not been arrested, I might have 
suppressed what you call sentiment, and brought 
him to justice, but as it was, I preferred to keep 
silence.” 

“ Do you believe him guilty ? ” 

“I do ! most firmly.” 

“ Then you are wrong. He is perfectly inno- 
cent. How could he have ^found your cartridge, 
with which alone the crime could have been com- 
mitted ? ” 

“ Ah, that I do not know.” 

‘‘ You see, therefore. Monsieur Ivan, that there 
is something in his favor — besides, you suspect 
another person.” 

“ I suspect another person ! ” echoed Ivan, in 
surprise, “ no, you are wrong.” 

V I am not wrong. You hinted at Mr. Dallas.” 


212 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Pardon me. I said nothing about my own sus- 
picions, I referred to those of M. Maxwell.” 

“ What on earth has he to do with it? ” I asked, 
quickly, being somewhat weary of this protracted 
conversation. 

“A great deal, monsieur, and as I promised to 
tell you all, I will do so, but you will be much 
astonished.” 

“I have lost the faculty of being astonished of 
late. Signor Ivan. Every moment brings a fresh 
surprise.” 

“ Doubtless, but this is the greatest surprise of 
all.” 

“What is it?” 

“ Pray be silent, major,” said Tancred, a trifle 
rudely, I thought, but these lawyers have no man- 
ners. “ Signor Ivan will, I am sure, prefer to tell 
his story in his own way.” 

Thus abjured, I held my peace, though sorely 
against my will, for I would have preferred to 
come to the point at once by questioning, without 
enduring the purgatory of this interminable narra- 
tion which Ivan now proceeded to inflict upon us 
both. 

“ In order to make things perfectly clear,” he 
said, slowly, “ I have, to a certain extent, violated 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


213 


my own instinct of delicacy, by telling you of my 
love for this dead woman. I loved her ardently, 
not as you cold English love with caution and cal- 
culation, with an eye to surrounding circumstances, 
and a dread of gossip. No, I was devoted to her, 
I adored her, I worshipped her ardently, and would 
have laid down my life at her feet had she so 
desired. Alas ! I was unfortunate, and your coun- 
tryman won her heart. In Paris, I saw a great 
deal of her, but while accepting my attentions, 
she contrived to keep me at a distance by a certain 
reserve, which I failed to break down. At last, 
on the eve of our departure for England to fulfil 
our engagements, I told her of my love, how 
ardently I desired to make her my wife — how her 
face was constantly before me, and how she filled 
my life. She heard me to the end, and then in 
cold, calm words told me she was engaged to marry 
Sir Gilbert Tressinger. Those words broke my 
heart, and she said them.” 

He struck his hand passionately against the 
piano, near which he was seated, and, affected by 
emotion, was for some moments unable to proceed. 
We kept silence out of sympathy for his misfor- 
tune, and after a pause of a few minutes’ duration, 
he resumed his story. 


214 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ How cruel women are ! She refused me as a 
lover, she desired me as a friend, and treated ni^ 
with a frank cordiality which I found sufficiently 
painful — so much so, in fact, that I ceased to see 
her save when our professional duties brought us 
together on the stage. I knew that Sir Gilbert 
was constantly with her, and I could not bear to 
stand calmly by, contemplating that bliss in which 
I had no share, so I stayed away from her presence, 
and strove to crush in my heart this foolish love 
which was never to bring me happiness or peace of 
mind. Dante described Hell, but he omitted the 
worst Hell of all — the Hell of despised desire.” 

While speaking thus passionately, his eyes blazed 
as with consuming fire, and great drops of s^veat 
stood on his flushed brow, betraying the agony he 
felt in thus coldly dissecting the passion which 
had wrecked his life. Taking out his handkerchief 
he wiped his forehead, and passed it rapidly 
over his dry lips, then hastily pursued his narra- 
tion. 

“ I heard by chance that Sir Gilbert had gone to 
Paris, and that night, between the acts of the 
opera, she sent for me to her dressing-room. I was 
loth to go, but had not strength of mind to refuse. 
When I came face to face with her, I found it 


THE BLACK CABNATIOX. 


215 


difficult to control my emotion, but she pretended 
not to notice my agitation, so cruel was she towards 
one whom she had rejected. At last I grew suffi- 
ciently calm to ask her what slue desired, and then 
she told me that she wanted me to go at once to 
Lippinton.” 

“ To Lippinton ! ” ejaculated both Tancred and 
myself, with breathless interest. 

“ Lippinton, she informed me,” resumed Ivan, 
without noticing our interruption, “is a little 
village near your town of Harrow, and she gave 
me instructions how to go down there, which she 
wished me to do the next day.” 

“ And her reason ? ” asked Tancred, quickly. 

“To see a gardener called Maxwell.” 

“ Great heavens,” I murmured, a suspicion enter- 
ing into my mind, which I strove to banish as 
absurd, “ can it be possible? ” 

“ Can what be possible ? ” demanded Ivan, his 
quick ears catching my remark. 

“Nothing! nothing! a mere idea. Pray go on 
with your story.” 

“ When I saw this gardener, I was to say, ‘ Why 
have you sent me the Black Carnation,’ and await 
his reply.” 


“Which was- 


I asked, breathlessly. 


216 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Softly, softly monsieur, let me tell the story 
in my own way.” 

I was forced to assent, though I was burning 
with curiosity, for this new description of the 
sender of the Black Carnation seemed to draw 
Maxwell — a rough, uncultured Irishman — into the 
affair. It was ridiculous, for there could be no 
connection between a famous prima-donna, and 
an obscure gardener, celebrated though he might 
be in his own circle as the grower of that curious 
plant, which was so prominent in the trag^y. 
Then I remembered Miss Maxwell ; her emotion 
on hearing the name of Mazzucata ; her extraordi- 
nary resemblance to Mazzucata ; and felt that we 
were on the verge of a great discovery, which 
would either solve the mystery, or deepen it still 
more. As for Tancred, he preserved a rigid 
silence, but his eager eyes, the twitching of his 
nervous fingers, showed that he was as eager as 
myself. 

“ Naturally enough I asked her the meaning of 
this extraordinary message,” said Ivan, quietly, 
“ but she refused to tell me anything. I had never 
heard of a Black Carnation, and was curious to 
know if there was such a flower in existence. She 
never showed me the blossom, and though her 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


217 


message was in those words, I was in complete 
ignorance as to whether she had actually received 
a Black Carnation (of the existence of which I 
was ignorant), or whether the words, ‘ Why did 
you send me the Black Carnation,’ hid some secret 
of her past life.” 

“ And what did you do ? ” 

“ I accepted the mission,” said Ivan, simply, “ and 
next day I went down to Lippinton. When I saw 
this Maxwell, I asked him the question as directed, 
upon which he stared at me in surprise and asked 
me what I meant. Of course, I could tell him 
nothing, and explained as much, whereupon he 
informed me that he possessed a carnation, which 
was unique of its kind, bearing perfectly black 
flowers, but that he was too fond of the plant to 
part with even a single bud.” 

“ In fact, he denied having sent Mazzucata a 
Black Carnation flower,” suggested Tancred. 

“ Yes. Then he took me to a glass house and 
showed me the plant, which was certainly marvel- 
lous, though it looked rather weird, being so un- 
natural in the color of its blossoms. On his 
plant. Maxwell said, there were twelve buds, upon 
which I counted them and found eleven.” 

“ Eleven ! ” I ejaculated, in surprise, “ why, that 


218 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


is the same number as there were when I was down. 
So you did not steal the twelfth bud ? ’’ 

“ I, monsieur ! who accuses me of such a 
thing ? ” 

“ Why, this Maxwell ; he told me there were 
twelve buds, but on counting them found only 
eleven, upon which discovery he said you must 
have stolen the twelfth.” 

“ I certainly did not steal the twelfth,” said Ivan, 
in a puzzled tone, “ particularly as on my discovery 
of the missing bud, he guessed the thief’s name.” 

“ What was it ? ” questioned Tancred, impul- 
sively.” 

“ M. Dallas.” ^ 

This name took us both by surprise, but of the 
two I was the most amazed, as I saw that Maxwell 
had been playing with Ivan the same comedy as he 
had played with me, only for the name of the singer, 
he substituted that of Dallas. We remained silent 
in sheer perplexity, for we knew not what to think 
or say, so Ivan, without waiting for our speech, 
resumed his story. 

“ I could get nothing else out of this Maxwell, 
so took my leave. He remained behind in the 
glass house, and ungraciously allowed me to find 
my way out into the street alone. While I was 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


219 


passing through the front of the house, I felt a 
touch on my arm, and saw ” 

“ Mazzucata?” 

“ W ell, I certainly thought so for the moment. 
The resemblance is truly wonderful, for this Made- 
moiselle Maxwell resembles my poor Mazzucata in 
all ways, save that she is blind.” 

“ Poor girl,” muttered Tancred, in a sad tone, 
“ well. Signor Ivan, and what did she say ? ” 

“ She told me she had overheard my conversa- 
tion with her father, and aSked me if it were true 
that Mazzucata had received a Black Carnation. 
When I told her that I thought such was the case 
she. was much disturbed.” 

“ Did she make any mention of Dallas ? ” 

“ No.” 

“ Did she say her father had sent Mazzucata the 
Black Carnation ? ” asked the lawyer, eagerly. 

“ My dear Tancred,” I said, impulsively, “ what 
an absurd remark. What possible motive could 
this obscure Maxwell have for sending Madame 
Mazzucata such a flower ? There can be no connec- 
tion between them.” 

“ So I thought,” remarked Ivan, who had listened 
to my speech, with a queer smile on his lips, “ but 
when I tell you, monsieur, what this blind lady 


220 


THE BLACK CAUNATION. 


told me, I do not think you will find M. Tancred’s 
remark so utterly absurd as you seem to fancy.” 

“ Why, what did she tell you ? ” 

“ I cannot give you the whole conversation, it 
would take too long.” 

“Well, give us the pith of it,” I rejoined, impa- 
tiently. “ Who is Mazzucata, and what connection 
has she with this man ? ” 

“ I know what you are going to say,” struck in 
Tancred, before Ivan could speak ; “ Mazzucata was 
Maxwell’s daughter.” 

“ Precisely,” answered Ivan, with an emph- 
atic nod; “she was Mademoiselle Maxwell’s twin 
sister.” 


MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

I AM certainly much bewildered over the new 
aspect of this case, as after my interview with Sig- 
nor Ivan, I cannot but think that my four previous 
theories are all wrong. lima Celinski, Dallas, 
Signor Ivan, and the secret society emissary, must 
be innocent, as all the evidence now obtainable 
seems to point in the direction of Simon Maxwell. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


221 


Now I have a theory, that he killed his daughter 
Mazzucata, and my belief is based upon the follow- 
ing circumstances : — 

He is the only possessor of the Black Carnation, 
and no bud could have left the greenhouse with- 
out his knowledge. 

He equivocated on the missing bud, and after 
accusing Dallas to Ivan, of being the thief, now 
accuses Ivan to me. 

As to the dynamite cartridge, which was cer- 
tainly manufactured by Kutusoff and possessed by 
Ivan, I fancy that the latter must have lost it 
down at Lippinton, where it was picked up by 
Maxwell and used in the fatal bouquet, together 
with the missing carnation which the gardener 
plucked himself. 


222 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


CHAPTER XIII. 

A WO^SLNN SCORNED. 

When Tancred and myself left the Hotel Eu- 
ropa, we certainly had sufficient to think about, 
for the discovery of Mazzucata’s relationship with 
the Maxwells complicated matters to a surprising 
degree. Seeing that Marietta Mazzucata, or, to 
give her real name, Mary Maxwell, was the daugh- 
ter of this gardener, it was evident that she must 
have known of the existence of the Black Carna- 
tion created by her father. Hence her frequent 
reference to that flower. But why should it ap- 
pear to her as a symbol of a violent death ? This 
was the question which agitated our minds ; and 
though we discussed it thoroughly, we could come 
to no conclusion as to the real meaning of the 
fancy. 

Again, Mazzucata had sent Ivan to her father, 
to inquire why he had sent the Black Carnation, 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


223 


so it was evident that Maxwell was the person 
from whom she expected the token. But why 
should that token refer to a violent death ? Turn 
which way we would, that last question kept ap- 
pearing in the most persistent manner, and defied 
our efforts to obtain a satisfactory answer to it. 

“ I would like to tell Melchizedek about this 
fresh discovery,” said Tancred, as we parted, “ but, 
unfortunately, he is down at Lippinton, and I do 
not know where a letter will find him.” 

“ What will you do? ” 

“ My dear major, I can do nothing except wait 
till Melchizedek returns to town, when we can 
consult as to what new move to make. Besides, 
it is probable Melchizedek will have discovered 
something at Lippinton likelj^ to aid us in solving 
the mystery. At all events, now that we know 
the dead woman came from Lippinton, it is evident 
the secret is to be discovered there, and if so, you 
may be sure Melchizedek, who is on the spot, will 
ferret it out.” 

“ Well, it is to be hoped so, for at present, so far 
as we are concerned, the secret of Mazzucata’s 
death will remain one until the day of judgment. 
Good-bye, Tancred, if you make any fresh discovery, 
let me know at once.” 


224 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Assuredly, but I must exact the same promise 
from you.” 

“ Whatever I learn, shall be known to you half 
an hour afterwards. But what about Gilbert ? ” 

‘‘ I am going to see him now. Will you come? ” 
“ No. Don’t think me unkind, Tancred, but I am 
quite worn out for want of rest. Tell Tressinger, 
1 will call and see Kim to-morrow morning, and 
not to worry too much.” 

“ My dear Major Granby, when I tell him that 
Mazzucata is this Maxwell’s daughter, he will 
have too much to think about to waste any time in 
worrying. Good-bye, don’t forget your promise.” 

So we parted, and Tancred went off to see 
Gilbert ; while I returned to my rooms, quite worn 
out, as I have stated, with the many surprises of 
the last few days. When this case was finished, I 
was quite determined to abstain for the future 
from the investigation of criminal matters, for the 
employment is too exhausting. It wearies the 
brain, it irritates the nerves, it spoils the temper, 
and yet is so confoundedly fascinating that one can 
no more stop in the middle of a case than cease to 
breathe of one’s own free will. I wonder if de- 
tectives live to any great age ? If they do, it is a 
puzzle to me how they manage to preserve the 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


225 


body from the wear and tear of the mind. For- 
merly, I did not think much of detectives as an 
intelligent class ; but now that I have had some 
experience of the difficulties they meet with, I have 
the greatest respect for their acuteness, their brain 
power, and their physical endurance. 

For that evening, at least, I got the better of my 
detective fever, and by resolutely fighting against 
the demon of curiosity, managed to secure a few 
hours of comparative rest to my brain. Reverting 
to my usual mode of life, I strolled in the park to 
gain an appetite, dined at the Old Friends’ Club 
with an old army friend, and afterwards went to 
the theatre. Whist was out of the question, as I 
could not have fixed my attention on the cards, 
but the theatre to which we went was the Gaiety, 
and there, in the frivolities of the last up to date 
burlesque, I forgot for a time that infernal problem 
which I had so foolishly set myself to solve. 

I might have known such peace of mind would 
not last, and remembered the calm before the 
storm proverb, for on my return to my rooms 
about midnight, I was met by Pointer with the 
extraordinary remark. 

“ A lady is waiting to see you, sir.” 

“ A lady. Pointer ? ” 


15 


226 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Yes, sir, she has been waiting for three hours.” 

I own I felt somewhat indignant at this, as the 
mere fact of a lady waiting to see me at midnight in 
my own rooms was enough to destroy my character 
with the people of the house. Pointer, I must 
admit, was perfectly respectful, and yet I felt that 
he was secretly amused at my embarrassment, 
which naturally put me into a towering rage. 

“ I can’t see any lady to-night. Pointer.” 

“ She says she won’t go away until she sees 
you, sir.” 

“ Who is she ? ” - 

“ Miss lima Celinski.” 

“ What, the witness in Mazzucata’s case ? ” 

“ Yes, sir, she is in the sitting-room.” 

“ Oh, I’ll see her at once. I wonder what she 
wants. Pointer. You must come with me in order 
to bear witness to anytliing she may say in con- 
nection with the case.” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ She needn’t see you. Pointer. Go into my 
bedroom and busy yourself with something, but 
leave the door open. Keep your attention fixed. 
Pointer ; this is most important.” 

Pointer, as a matter of fact, felt much flattered 
at being thus brought into the case, as, since his 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


227 


conversation with Dabsworth, he had taken a 
great interest in the affair, therefore, he went into 
my bedroom by another door, while I entered the 
sitting-room, where I found Mademoiselle Celinski, 
impatiently awaiting my arrival. 

“ Major Granby,” she said, rising, as I came 
into the room. 

“ Yes. To what have I the honor ” 

“ It is no honor,” she retorted, abruptly, cutting 
short my polite speech, “ I am in a rage.” 

“ Not with me, I trust.” 

“ No, with M. Dallas.” 

“ Ho ! Ho I ” I thought to myself, “ when 
thieves fall out honest men get their dues.” 

“ Do you know me, monsieur ? ” said the Pole, 
sitting down again, “ I am Mademoiselle Celinski 
— lima Celinski. Oh, yes, you know me.” 

“ I think so, mademoiselle. It was you who 
gave evidence against my poor friend. Sir Gilbert 
Tressinger.” 

“ Yes, I did tell a story against him ; but why 
did he stay? I came and told him to go. He 
should have run away. Why did he stay ? ” 

“ Because he was innocent.” 

“ Innocent ! Bah ! ” 

‘‘ You are not polite, mademoiselle, and not 


228 the black CABNATION. 

truthful. You know Sir Gilbert is innocent.” 

“ I know, what I know,” she answered, sullenly. 

“ Doubtless ; but as you did not come here 
without a purpose, I would like to know what 
that purpose is.” 

lima Celinski had taken off her gloves, and was 
twisting them round and round in her strong 
hands. Still dressed in that bizarre red costume, 
hardly hidden by a thin black cloak, she was with 
her strongly marked features, flashing eyes, and 
eloquent gestures, sufficiently interesting, although 
hardly the kind of young person a steady old 
bachelor likes to entertain in his rooms at such an 
hour. I was glad Pointer was a witness in the 
next room. Besides, this girl had a temper, and 
was evidently in a towering rage about something, 
which rage she vented on me for want of a better 
person. 

“ Eh, monsieur, you are astonished to see me 
here,” she burst out, rapidly, “ oh, yes, but it is 
not my fault this midnight. I came here at nine 
hours, but you were not here, so I waited. I 
wished to see you, to ask about this woman — this 
lady — you know, monsieur, I think.” 

“ I haven’t the slightest idea to whom you are 
alluding.” 


THE BLACK CAB NATION, 


229 


“ It is a conspiracy against me. You take his 
side.” 

“ Take whose side,” I asked, completely be- 
wildered. 

“ M. Dallas,” she muttered, in a savage tone ; 
“ that coward, that infamous one.” 

“ Monsieur Dallas,” I repeated, reflectively. 
“ Oh, yes, I think I know the gentleman you 
mean. He was in love with your mistress, was he 
not?” 

“ He was in love with me.” 

“ But you said in Court ” 

‘‘ Oh, I said many things in Court — I told lies, 
and all for his sake.” 

“ Then you acknowledge that you spoke falsely 
against Sir Gilbert ? ” 

“ I acknowledge nothing, monsieur,” retorted 
the Pole, scornfully j “ but if you tell me that 
which I wish to know, why then, indeed — eh, yes, 
I may say something of your Sir Gilbert.” 

“ I don’t understand you, mademoiselle.” 

“ Oh, yes you do,” she panted, eagerly, “ this 
woman — the sister of madame.” 

Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Yes ! yes ! you have seen her. Oh, I know 
of your visit to that place ; and he also was there. 


230 


THE BLACK CARNATION, 


Does he love her, this coward, who said I was his 
adored ? ” 

“ You wish to know if Mr. Dallas is in love with 
Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Yes ! yes ! Is it so ? ” 

“I cannot tell you, mademoiselle. I know he 
was down there about some business.” 

“ He is down there now.” 

“ At Lippinton ? ” 

“ Yes. Oh, I know why he is there. He loves 
this woman who is like my dead mistress.” 

“ How do you know that Miss Maxwell is the 
sister of Madame Mazzucata ? ” 

“She told me so herself. Yes, I was the friend 
of madame, not the servant. She told me many 
things. I knew all her history. I know of the 
Black Carnation.” 

“ What do you know about that? ” 

It was an injudicious question to ask, for hardly 
had the words left my mouth, when lima Celinski 
closed her mouth with a snap and refused to an- 
swer. There was evidently nothing to be got out 
of this woman save by working on her jealousy, so, 
as I saw she knew a great deal likely to be useful 
to us in the case, I took that line at the expense 
of a few falsehoods, which I trust will be pardoned 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


231 


to me, seeing how desperate was the dilemma in 
which I found myself. 

“ You have come to ask me about Mr. Dallas, 
I understand ? ” 

“ I have, monsieur.” 

“ What can I tell you, mademoiselle ; I should 
think you were more likely to know his move- 
ments than I.” 

“ I know nothing — nothing,” she said, angrily, 
“ after the death of my mistress, M. Dallas left the 
town, and I have not seen him since. Oh, I am 
sure he is down with that woman ; he loves her 
because she is so like madame.” 

“ Does he not love you ? ” 

“ He has told me so, many times, and I, like a 
fool, believed him. I helped him all in my power. 
I told him madame’s name — of the Black Carna- 
tion — of the place where it was to be found — all — 
all that he wished to know, and this is my reward 
— he leaves me for another. I am neglected, de- 
spised ; but let him beware, for I can speak, as 
well as keep silent.” 

“ I think it would be best to speak, seeing how 
badly he is treating you.” 

“ Yes, he is treating me badly, but I do not know 
yet that he is false.” 


232 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Oh, I can set your mind at rest on that point. 
He is false — he has been false all along. He 
never loved you as he loved Mazzucata.” 

At these words she grew so pale, that, for the 
moment, I thought she was about to faint, but 
being evidently a woman with an indomitable 
spirit, she controlled her emotion, and answered 
me at once. 

“ He did not love madame, he hated her. That 
is why he sent her the Black Carnation.” 

“ Oh, he did send that flower then? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ And did he kill madame, also ? ” 

“ That I do not know.” 

“ Then tell me all you do know. Save an in- 
nocent man from death, and revenge yourself on 
your false lover.” 

“ Is he false ? If I thought so ! ” 

“ He is false,” I responded, eagerly. “ He told 
me that he loved Madame Mazzucata, and no one 
else. The Black Carnation was only sent to her 
because he wished to frighten her into breaking 
off her engagement with Sir Gilbert. You have 
been his tool all along.” 

“ His tool ! I ! ” she screamed, in a rage. “ Im- 
possible ! he loves me ! ” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


233 


“ He does not. He loved Mazzucata while she 
was alive, but now she is dead, he loves her sis- 
ter.” 

lima clutched her breast as if to prevent her 
fury bursting forth, but as it was, she was by no 
means sparing of words in condemning her false 
lover. 

“ Oh, the infamous one — the deceiver. He 
swore by all that he held most sacred, that I was 
the only woman he loved. I see now it is false, 
and that he is with this woman — this sister of 
madame. But I will be revenged, I will tell all.” 

I listened eagerly for the promised revelation, 
and after a pause she burst out again. 

“ Madame told me that a Black Carnation ex- 
isted, and that she was afraid to receive one. She 
did not tell me the reason ; I did not know it was a 
message of death. I knew her father was this 
Maxwell, who had this Black Carnation in his 
possession, and all of this I told to M. Dallas. 
He came back from Paris many days before 
madame appeared at the theatre — he told me in 
Italy he loved me, and that he loved me now. I, 
like a fool, believed him, and told him all. Then 
he assured me that he hated madame, who had 
treated him badly ; and when I told him how afraid 


234 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


she was of receiving a Black Carnation, he deter- 
mined to send her one. I informed him where 
the Black Carnation was to be found.” 

“ Don’t you think it was very cruel of you thus 
to treat your mistress ?” 

“ I never thought of my mistress,” she responded, 
recklessly. “ I only did what he desired. I knew 
no law but his, and, fool that I am, I have been 
punished for my folly. He told me that his only 
reason for sending the Black Carnation tomadame 
was to make her fear.” 

“ A feeble excuse. Surel}^ you did not believe 
him.” 

“ Why should I not, monsieur ? I knew not 
that he loved her so dear, and also there was no 
harm in sending madame the flower. It would 
cause her fear, but do her no harm. Fear, ah ! 
what foolishness ! ” 

“ Well, he sent the Black Carnation? ” 

“ Yes. He told me so, and I gave madame the 
letter when it arrived. It was from Paris, and 
contained that black flower. I could not under- 
stand that coming from France, and thought M. 
Dallas had returned to Paris ; but no, I saw him 
the same day. It was a lie, that letter — he had 
sent it to his servant to post from Paris.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


235 


“ Did he ask you to keep silent about his being 
in London ? ” 

“ He did, monsieur, and I held my peace. I 
told him all. He pretended to be jealous of M. 
Gilbert and myself, but I said, ‘ No, this milord 
loves madame, he is with her always, he gives her 
flowers,’ and then I showed him the shop where 
the flowers came from.” 

“ And Sir Gilbert’s bouquet ? ” 

“ Ah, yes. I knew of that. M. Dallas told me 
how lie had gone to the shop and asked to have a 
bouquet the same as Sir Gilbert’s. He said the 
bouquet was for me, so as to be equal to madame. 
He brought it to the hotel after madame had gone 
to the theatre. We were talking — we heard the 
voice of Sir Gilbert. He came in, yes, but M. 
Dallas hid himself.” 

“ Where ? ” 

“ In the same room as Sir Gilbert, who was 
drinking coffee. The flowers of Sir Gilbert were 
on a table near the curtain. I was in the 
next room, but I saw all — yes, all, and I will 
tell.” 

“ What did you see ? ” I asked, much excited. 

lima Celinski placed her finger on her lips. 

“ I saw M. Dallas put out his hand, when was 


236 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


turned Sir Gilbert’s back, and change the bouquets 
— yes, change the flowers.” 

“ How could he do that when Sir Gilbert was in 
the room ? ” 

“ You do not understand, monsieur,” she replied, 
impatiently. “ The table was near the window, 
and M. Dallas was hiding behind the curtain. 
In front of him were the flowers of Sir Gilbert, so 
what did he do but stretch out his hand with the 
bouquet and leave it on the table, taking away Sir 
Gilbert’s instead.” 

“ And you said nothing ? ” 

“ Nothing. I did not know there was danger in 
the bouquet. Sir Gilbert, he took up the flowers 
of M. Dallas, thinking they were his own, and 
went away. Then M. Dallas came out, and when 
I asked him why he changed the dowel’s, he 
laughed, and said it was a trick for laughter.” 

“ Then he gave you the bouquet, left by Sir 
Gilbert.” 

‘‘ He gave me no flowers,” said the Pole, in an 
angry tone, “ see, this was it, monsieur : — I was late 
to go to the theatre, and M. Dallas said he would 
put me in a fiacre. I go away from the room first, 
and leave my flowers behind. He came also with 
me, and had his cloak over his arm. I did not 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


237 


know then, but I know now that my flowers were 
under that cloak. I did not see them ; he puts me 
in Q. fiacre, says au revoir, and then I go, while he, 
infamous one, takes the flowers he gives to me, for 
madame at the theatre.” 

“ What kind of flowers were they that he brought 
to the hotel ? ” 

“ The same as those of M. Gilbert ; white with 
a black one in the centre.” 

“ A Black Carnation ? ” 

“ I cannot tell. It was black.” 

“ Try and recollect ; this evidence is very im- 
portant.” 

“ I cannot say, monsieur. I was busy ; I had 
the flowers but a moment.” 

“ If that second bouquet had a Black Carnation 
in the centre, it was the one which killed Mazzu- 
cata.” 

“ Yes, but I do not know if it was the Black 
Carnation. Oh, yes, it might have been ; but why 
should he bring me flowers to kill me ? ” 

“ He didn’t wish to kill you, but madame.” 

“ And for why ? ” 

“ Because he loved her, and could not bear to 
see her marry Sir Gilbert.” 

“ Oh, I have been a fool,” she said, throwing up 


238 


THE BLACK CAUNATION, 


her arms in despair, “ I see now he did not love 
me. But I will make him suffer.” 

“ It would serve him right. He has made others 
suffer. Why did you tell all those lies in court, 
about Sir Gilbert stealing the Black Carnation ? ” 

“ Because, M. Dallas said he would marry me if 
I did so.” 

“ Oh ! ” I cried, revolted at this callous be- 
havior, “ would you have condemned an innocent 
man to death on so slight a cause. Shame ! ” 

“ I did not want him to die,” answered lima, 
doggedly ; “ but I wished to marry M. Dallas. I 
warned Sir Gilbert to go away, but he would not.” 

“ You are little better than a murderess.” 

“ I am what I am,” she retorted, defiantly, “ I 
was good once, but now — oh, I will make him 
suffer. He never loved me — he loved madame, 
and now it is her sister.” 

“ I am not sure if he loves the sister.” 

“ It is a lie. You said it was so.” 

“ Pardon me, I said I thought so, but I did not 
swear to it.” 

“ Oh ! old false one, you have deceived me. 
Perhaps he does love me after all.” 

“ No, I’m sure he does not.” 

“ And I have destroyed him with my tongue,” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


239 


she said, not heeding my speech, “ but no matter, 
I will go down to this sister and ask her, ‘ Does 
he love you ? ’ If she says ‘ yes ’ I will tell all 
that I have said to the justice, but if she says ‘ no,’ 
I will swear that I spoke nothing of the changing 
of the flowers.” 

‘‘ And thus condemn Sir Gilbert to death ? ” 

“ No, no ; but what is that to me. I will marry 
M. Dallas.” 

“ A murderer.” 

“He is not a murderer. He did not change the 
flowers. He loves me. What I have said is lies 
—all lies.” 

“ What you have said is the truth,” I replied, 
sharply, rising to my feet, “ and I will tell it to 
my lawyer.” 

“ I will deny it.” 

“ Quite useless. Mademoiselle Celinski ; you 
have confessed in the presence of two witnesses.” 

“ Two witnesses ! ” she gasped, falling back a 
step.” 

“ Pointer.” 

He appeared at the door of the bedroom. 

“ Did you hear what this lady said ? ” 

“ Every word, sir.” 

“You can swear to it?” 


240 


THE BLACK CAMNATIOJSf. 


“ I can swear to it, sir.” 

lima Celinski looked from one to the other, in a 
quietly vindictive manner, and then addressed her- 
self to me. 

“ You have tricked me, monsieur. You are a 
brave man. I make you my compliments, but I 
will go to this girl, and if he loves her not, I will 
swear that I told you lies to-night. If he hates 
me, you can kill him. If he loves me, I will save 
him.” 

And without another word, she turned and left 
the room. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


241 


CHAPTER XIV. 

ALL IN THE DARK. 

It can be easily imagined that after two such 
exciting interviews I had but little sleep that 
night, and arose next morning earlier than was my 
custom. Every second of those dragging hours of 
darkness my thoughts were busy Avith that weary 
case, and, though I looked at the affair from every 
imaginable point of view, I was unable to arrive 
at any conclusion respecting the solution of the 
problem. Towards dawn, worn out with incessant 
thought, I fell into an uneasy slumber, from 
whence I awoke about eight o’clock, feeling jaded 
and unrefreshed. 

When I caught sight of my face in the glass, I 
positively started, so haggard did I look, and when 
Pointer entered with my shaving water he was 
unable to refrain from an exclamation of surprise. 
Usually Pointer knows his place and makes no re- 
mark unless directly addressed, therefore, I knew 
16 


24 :: 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


that my appearance must be singularly careworn 
to thus provoke uncalled-for condolences from my 
ordinarily reticent servant. 

“ I am afraid you have not slept, sir.” 

“No, Pointer, I have been thinking over this 
confounded case.” 

“ It is a pity, sir, you saw that young person 
last night.” 

“ So far as my rest is concerned — yes ; but as 
regards the case, I am glad I interviewed her, as 
her evidence will be of a great value.” 

“ I hope it will go a long way to releasing Sir 
Gilbert, sir.” 

“ I am sure there will be little difficulty now, in 
proving his innocence. But the question is — 
Who is the guilty person ? ” 

“ If I may make so bold, sir ” 

“Well, what is it, Pointer?” I replied, in an 
encouraging tone of voice. “ What is your opin- 
ion?” 

“ After what Dabsworth told me, sir, and after 
the story of that young person last night, I think 
Mr. Dallas is the guilty party.” 

“ Ah ! Is that your conviction, Pointer ? ” 

“ My firm conviction, sir. I don’t see that it 
can be anyone else.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


243 


“ I have my doubts about Mr. Dallas, myself, 
Pointer ; but I can’t be sure. However, when I am 
dressed, I will call on Mr. Tancred, and tell him 
about this woman. By the way. Pointer, you need 
not mention her visit.” 

“ By no means, sir.” 

So anxious was I to hear Tancred’s opinion about 
the matter, that it did not take me long to finish 
dressing ; a most remarkable thing for me, as I 
usually dawdle about my bedroom for at least an 
hour. However, this matter was too important to 
admit of any delay ; so, having hastily swallowed 
breakfast — another extraordinary thing for me to 
do — I went at once to the Temple, in search of 
Tancred. 

What with dressing hurriedly, and eating quickly, 

I felt most uncomfortable ; and thus realizing — 
that this detective fever was undermining my 
health, I made a solemn vow to myself, that, if the 
case were not concluded speedily, I would throw it 
up and go abroad for a time. Either at Monte 
Carlo or San Remo I should be sufficiently dis- 
tracted to forget this foolish desire to unravel this 
mystery. I would return cured, and able to take up 
the pleasant, calm life of the days before this ter-, 
rible criminal case had upset my existence. 


244 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


Tancred was out when I arrived at his rooms. 
This hardly astonished me, for when anyone is in 
a hurry, Fate generally throws all kinds of obsta- 
cles in his way, both to delay his aim and try his 
temper. Mine was bad enough already, so I ac- 
cepted the absence of Tancred with resigned de- 
spair, and sat down to read the Times. Generally, 
I enjoy that paper, but this morning I could not 
keep my attention fixed enough to even read it ; 
so, throwing it on one side, I was about to go out 
and take a walk, when Tancred entered, with such 
a joyous look on his face, that my ill temper van- 
ished like mist before the sun. 

“ What ! Major Granby,” he said, shaking my 
hand. “ I am glad to see you, major. I have much 
to tell you.” 

“ And I have very serious news to tell you.” 

Eh, major. Have you found out who commit- 
ted the crime ? Another theory, major ? ” 

“ No ; but I have had an interview with lima 
Celinski.” 

“ What, the waiting-maid ? Did you pay her a 
visit?” 

“ On the contrary ; she paid me a visit — at mid- 
night.” 

“ Major ! major ! ” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


245 


“ Oh, Pointer was there — in the next room ; and 
I was very glad, as he overheard her evidence, and 
is prepared to swear to it.” 

“ Did she confess to those lies she told in the 
court?” 

“ Yes ; and she confessed a good deal more. 
Listen, Tancred ; I am going to astonish you.” 

“ Good. I like being astonished. Where is my 
pipe ? Ah, here it is. Now, Major Granby, I am 
your most obedient servant.” 

Seeing he was thus disposed to listen, I narrated, 
at great length, the conversation of the previous 
night with lima Celinski. Tancred was very atten- 
tive, though he frequently interrupted me with ex- 
clamations of surprise. When I finished my story 
he rose to his feet and walked to and fro for some 
moments in deep thought, then resumed his seat 
with a dissatisfied frown on his face. 

“ That woman is such a liar that I don’t know 
whether to believe her or not.” 

“I am sure she speaks the truth in this 
case.” 

“Oh, I have no doubt that she is in love with 
Dallas, and that he deceived her. Also, that story 
of the changing of the bouquets is perfectly true, 
but she has not told you everything.” 


246 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ What else is there to tell ? ” 

“ I wish to know if that bouquet of Dallas, which 
she said he presented to her, contained the dynamite 
cartridge. It is a lie she is telling about the flow- 
ers, I am sure, for Dallas had no reason to give her 
that fatal bunch of flowers. No, he meant it for 
Mazzucata ! ” 

“ Doubtless ; hut very likely, knowing the tem- 
per of this lima Celinski, he was afraid to say so, 
and all the time pretended that the bouquet was 
for her, although he meant it for Madame Mazzu- 
cata.” 

‘‘Well, there is only one way to prove the 
truth of the story, and that is to see Dallas at 
once.” 

“ But he is at Lippinton.” 

“ No, he isn’t, major. I have no doubt, in order 
to be rid of this girl, he lets her think he is at Lip- 
pinton, but in reality he is in town.” 

“ How do you know ? ” 

“ Because I have seen him this morning.” 

“ Seen Dallas ? ” 

“Yes. After our interview with Ivan, yesterday, 
I wished to see what attitude Dallas was taking 
up, and so called at his rooms an hour ago.” 

“ Did you speak to him personally ? ” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


247 


“ Yes, but only for a moment, as he was not yet 
up. However, he promised to come here at once 
and have a conversation over the matter.” 

I rose to my feet with an ejaculation of rage. 

“ What is the matter, major ? ” asked Tancred, 
calmly. 

“ Don’t you see that you have put him on his 
guard. He will not come here.” 

“ Oh, yes, he will, if he is innocent.” 

“But I think he is guilt}^, and now that he 
knows you wish to see him, he will suspect some- 
thing and run away.” 

“Don’t be alarmed, major, he won’t run far. 
I have a detective watching his chambers, and he 
cannot move a yard without being followed.” 

“Well, supposing he does come here, do you 
think that will prove his innocence.” 

“I don’t go so far as that,” replied Tancred, 
quickly, “but it will be strong presumptive evi- 
dence that he is not guilty.” 

“ Or, that he is on his guard and knows he can 
baffle justice.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” 

“ Why, Tancred, I don’t think my meaning is 
hard to guess. As I told you, when lima found 
that I had deceived her in the matter of Dallas 


248 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


being in love with Mazzucata’s sister, she withdrew 
all her previous statements.” 

“ That does not matter. Her evidence was over- 
heard by two witnesses, yourself and Pointer.” 

“Yes! yes! that is all right; but she said she 
would warn Dallas of the mistake she had made.” 

“ She won’t warn Dallas until she is satisfied he 
loves no one but her,” responded Tancred, coolly, • 
“ and that she can’t make sure of until she has a 
personal interview with Miss Maxwell, in which 
case, she will have to go to Lippinton, therefore, 
up till now, she cannot have called on Dallas.” 

“ But, supposing she called at his chambers be- 
fore she went to Lippinton, and told him all. That 
would put him on his guard, and he will come 
here with a prepared conversation and line of de- 
fence.” 

“If he comes here to tell lies, T think I can 
prove their falsity. But as to this woman calling 
on him, she won’t do that for two reasons : the 
first being that she wishes to see Miss Maxwell 
and know the truth ; the second that she thinks 
Dallas is at Lippinton, as she told you last night. 
So, my dear major, you need have no fear that 
Dallas knows of that midnight visit, for by this 
time, Hina Celinski is on her way to Lippinton to 


THE BLACK CABKATION. 


249 


kill two birds with one stone, by seeing Miss Max- 
well and Dallas at once.” 

“ When she doesn’t find Dallas there, she will 
come back to town and warn him.” 

“ She can’t ; for Dallas will be here shortly, 
and we shall know all he has to tell before lima 
Celinski returns. Besides, when she is at Lippin- 
ton she will fall into the clutches of Melchi- 
zedek.” 

“ He doesn’t know her.” 

“ Oh, yes, he does. He was in court and heard 
her evidence, which I proved to him to be a tissue 
of lies. When he sees her at Lippinton, he will 
suspect her intentions and watch her. If he over- 
hears her conversation with Miss Maxwell,^as he 
assuredly will do, I wouldn’t be surprised if he 
found out the truth without further trouble.” 

“ Do you think lima Celinski knows the 
truth?” 

“ Either she or Miss Maxwell.” 

“ Why Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Because I distrust Miss Maxwell. I wish to 
know several things about Miss Maxwell.” 

“ Such as ” 

“Why was she so agitated at the mention of 
the Black Carnation ? What does she know about 


250 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


that confounded flower ? Tell me her reason for 
revealing so much to Ivan.” 

“ But surely, Tancred, you do not suspect this 
poor blind woman ? ” 

“I don’t know who to suspect,” replied the 
lawyer,' gloomily. “ I am utterly at a loss to come 
to any conclusion. Oh, yes, I know that you 
think, I being a barrister, should be infallible — that 
I should at once put my finger on the weak spot 
of all this conflicting evidence. That I should 
seize some one by the arm, and cry, ‘ behold the 
assassin ! ’ but such things, major, are only done in 
books where ' the author knows the end of the 
story. God alone knows the truth of this strange 
matter, and unless by some miracle He permits us 
to learn the truth, I do not see how we are to 
discover the real criminal.” 

“But, Tancred, you don’t think Gilbert Tres- 
singer will be hanged ? ” 

“No, I do not think the evidence is strong 
enough against him. In fact, if this trial were 
taking place in Scotland, the verdict, I fancy, would 
be ‘not proven.’ But the English law knows no 
middle course. It is either guilt or innocence, and 
if Sir Gilbert is condemned for this crime — of 
which, mind you, I firmly believe he is innocent — 


THE BLACK CABKATIOK. 


251 


he will, probably, be imprisoned for life if he 
escape the gallows.” 

“ Still the evidence is not, at present, sufficient 
to convict him.” 

“ Certainly not, especially now that lima Celinski 
confesses that she has borne false witness. But 
will she stick to the story she told you, major ? ” 

“ She says she will not — that is if she finds out 
that Dallas does not love her. I can’t say whether 
he does or not, but I am certain that he does not 
care for this blind Miss Maxwell ; so lima Celinski 
will be satisfied with that, and retract her story. 
However, as I told you, both myself and Pointer 
heard her tell the truth, and can swear to it.” 

“ I am glad of that. But I think the only way 
to get Sir Gilbert out of his difficulty is to force 
Dallas to tell the truth.” 

“ Which he certainly won’t do if it is harmful 
to himself.” 

‘‘No, I suppose not. However, he will be here 
soon,” answered Tancred, looking at his watch ; 
“ half-past eleven — I expect him every minute.” 

There was a pause of a few moments’ duration, 
each of us being busy with his own ideas. 

“ Tancred,” I said, at length, “ do you think 
Dallas is guilty of this crime ? ” 


252 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ Ah, that I cannot tell you. Things certainly 
look black against him. He said he would kill 
Mazzucata — he sent that Black Carnation from 
Paris, he changed those bouquets — ^yes, things 
don’t seem in his favor, and I think he will have 
some difficulty in clearing himself.” 

“ You can prove all tlmt, I know, hut as regards 
the dynamite cartridge ? ” 

‘‘Ivan can prove that Kutusoffi made it and 
gave it to him.” 

“ Certainly, hut he cannot prove how he lost it. 
Dallas does not know Ivan — he was never in his 
company, so even supposing the cartridge dropped 
out of Ivan’s pocket, how are you going to prove 
that Dallas picked it up ? ” 

“ Yes, that is difficult. But the crime may not 
have been committed with that cartridge.” 

“ How else could the explosion have taken 
place. Why, everything points to that cartridge 
having been used for the handle of the bouquet 
— Mazzucata touched the spring by accident — it 
exploded, and there you are.” 

“ I don’t say such a cartridge was not used,” 
said Tancred, with some asperity, “ but I am doubt- 
ful as to the special one which was in the posses- 
sion of Ivan. Kutusoff might have made another.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


253 


“ He might, and I dare- say has made many. 
Still, you must prove that he gave one to Dallas, 
in order to bring home the crime to that gentle- 
man.” 

“Well, I will see Kutusoff.” 

“ Who will say nothing.” 

“ He might not to me, but he is a friend of Ivan, 
who, I think, is well disposed towards Tressinger, 
so if I fail, we will set Ivan to work.” 

“ You don’t think Ivan is guilty ? ” 

“ No, I do not,” replied Tancred, decisively. 
“ His convemation quite exonerated him in my 
eyes.” 

“ Still he had the fatal cartridge — he might 
have stolen that Black Carnation — he presented 
the bouquet ” 

“ True,” said Tancred, interrupting me, “ but 
the only two bouquets of that special appearance 
were in the possession of Dallas and Gilbert — Ivan 
had nothing to do with them.” 

“ Suppose Ivan is the accomplice of Dallas ? ” 

“ I don’t suppose anything so ridiculous. Ivan 
loved Mazzucata, and certainly would not help to 
destroy her in order to gratify the pride of a rival 
lover. No, major, Ivan did not commit the crime, 
and I don’t know who did.” 


254 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ But what is your opinion ? ” 

“ My opinion,” said Tancred, slowly, ‘‘ well, my 
opinion is that the discovery of the real criminal 
will surprise us all. Come in.” 

This last was in answer to a sharp knock. We 
both turned our heads sharply towards the door, 
which quickly opened, and on the threshold stood 
Lawrence Dallas. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


255 


CHAPTER XV. 

AT BAY. 

Dallas was by no means pleased at seeing me ; 
in fact, I think he was somewhat disconcerted at 
the idea of my being present at what could not 
fail to be a painful interview. Judging by all the 
evidence I had heard from different people in- 
terested in the case, Dallas had acted in anything 
but an honorable manner ; and of this he seemed 
to be aware, for he only greeted me with a cool 
nod, while his greeting of Tancred was coldness 
itself. On my part, I was equally dignified, for, 
in spite of a long training in the world, I am 
quite unable to conceal my real feelings ; and, as 
I looked on the conduct of Dallas in anything 
but a favorable light, I could not help showing 
my condemnation of it. Dallas had more command 
over himself, and, though obviously ill at ease, was 
able to preserve at least a semblance of carelessness ; 


256 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


yet, I noticed that he addressed himself particularly 
to Tailored, to the pointed exclusion of myself. 

“ I am here, Mr. Tancred, according to my 
promise,” he said, in what he strove to render a 
careless tone, though I detected a tremor therein. 
‘‘May I ask if you wish to see me on private 
business ? ” 

“ Not private enough to exclude Major Granby,” 
answered Tancred, coolly; “in fact, I asked the 
major to be present.” 

Dallas raised his eyebrows in a nasty, supercilious 
way, which made my blood boil. 

“ I am not aware that Major Granby has any in- 
terest in my private affairs.” 

“It’s not a private affair,” I said, hotly, in 
spite of Tancred’s effort to keep me silent ; “ it is 
an affair with which the whole world will soon be 
acquainted.” 

“ Indeed. Perhaps you will kindly enlighten 
my ignorance, and tell me what you both,jil&re talk- 
ing about.” " 

“ We are talking about Mazzucata,” said Tancred, 
‘ promptly. 

“ Mazzucata ! ” repeated Dallas, starting. “ And 
what have I to do with Mazzucata ? ” 

“ A good deal, according to lima Celinski.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


257 


“ Your pardon, Major Granby,” observed Tan- 
cred rather sharply ; “ pray, let me interview Mr. 
Dallas alone. Afterwards, you can ask him any 
questions you think fit.” 

“ I will answer no questions, sir,” cried Dallas, 
stung by this speech. “ What do you mean by these 
insults ? ” 

“ I think you know, Mr. Dallas.” 

“ I do not know,” retorted the young man, ob- 
stinately. I 

As for me, seeing that Tancred desired me to 
keep silent — and I could not but admit that he was 
the proper person to interrogate the witness, — I 
held my peace, but watched the verbal tussle be- 
tween these two enemies, with keen interest. Tan- 
cred was perfectly cool, but Dallas, in the most 
foolish manner, had quite lost his temper, and was 
now making for the door in hot indignation. 

“Where are you going, Mr. Dallas?” asked 
Tancred, serenely, not moving from his chair. 

“ I am going to leave this room, sir, where I have 
been subjected to such insults.” 

“ I hope not ; for, if you do, it will entail on me 
the trouble of calling on the nearest magistrate.” 

Dallas had his hand already on the handle of the 
door, but at these last words he turned pale, and 


258 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


dropping his hand, looked inquiringly at Tancred. 

“ What do you mean, sir ? ” 

“I mean, that if you don’t remain here and an- 
swer any questions myself and Major Granby may 
think fit to ask, I will take out a warrant for your 
arrest.” 

“ And for what ? ” asked Dallas, in a tremulous 
voice. 

“ For being concerned in the murder of Marietta 
Mazzucata.” 

“ It’s a lie. I did not murder her.” 

“ I did not accuse you of such a thing. All I 
said was that you are implicated therein.” 

“ I am not, it is false.” 

“ Come, Mr. Dallas,” said Tancred, persuasively, 
pointing to a chair, “ don’t you think it would be 
wiser of you to remain ? ” 

“ Of course, if you force me.” 

“ Pardon me, I do not force you, Mr. Dallas. 
Leave the room if you like at your own risk.” 

Dallas paused for a moment at the door in order 
to regain command over himself, then, with a smile 
of bravado on his pale face, returned to his chair, 
threw his hat and stick on the table beside him, 
and placed his hands on his knees with a defiant 
look at Tancred, 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


259 


“ Now then, sir,” he said, hoarsely, “ i^erhaps you 
will kindly explain the meaning of this com- 
edy” 

“ Comedy,” I grumbled to myself, “ let us hope* 
it will not turn out a tragedy.” 

“Major Granby, pray let me speak,” remon- 
strated Tancred, upon which I apologized as I al- 
ways do when I feel myself to be in the wrong. 
Dallas, whom up to this time I had never suspected 
of being of a vindictive disposition, shot a malig- 
nant glance at me, which fired my soul with right- 
eous indignation. Indeed, so wroth was I at his 
ungentlemanly behavior, that I was much put to 
in holding my tongue, but my promise was given 
to Tancred, so I kept silent, with the firm determi- 
nation to speak my mind as soon as I was permitted 
to do so. 

“Well, sir,” said Dallas, at this moment, “pray 
tell me what you wish me to say.” 

“ I wish to know the truth concerning your con- 
nection with Mazzucata.” 

“ That is easily told. I met Madame Mazzu- 
cata in Italy some eighteen months back, and asked 
her to marry me. She refused, and then I went to 
the East, from whence I returned to England some 
time ago,” 


260 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ With the idea of again asking Madame Mazzu- 
cata to become your wife.” 

“ Pardon me, I had no such intention.” 

“ You told a different story to me on the first 
night of the opera,” said I, quickly. 

“Possibly,” retorted Dallas, with supreme in- 
difference, “ I spoke hurriedly, without thinking.” 

“ You certainly did when you said you would 
rather kill Mazzucata than see her married to an- 
other.” 

“ Did I say that,” he replied, changing color, 
“ I talked at random.” 

“ It was a very dangerous speech to make,” said 
Tancred, pointedly, “ however, we will pass over 
that for the present. When did you arrive in 
London ? ” 

“ On the sixteenth of May.” 

“ Think again, Mr. Dallas. W as it not on the 
eighth of May ? ” 

Dallas winced, but still stuck to his assertion 
with the utmost effrontery. 

“ Of course, if you know more than I do, it is 
useless for me to reply to your questions. But in 
^spite of your contradiction, I assert that I was not 
in London until the sixteenth of May.” 

“ And on my part, Mr. Dallas, I do not assert. 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


261 


but know that you were in London on the eighth 
of May.” 

“ It’s a lie.” 

“ Gently, Mr. Dallas. There is no need for you 
to lose your temper over this matter.” 

“ I do not like my word to be doubted.” 

“ That’s very probable. Still, in this instance, 
I must beg leave to hold to my own opinion and 
deny your assertion.” 

Dallas bit his nether lip in a transport of fury, 
and afraid to again repeat his falsehood, contented 
himself with being insolent. 

“ As you know so much of my movements,” he 
said, contemptuously, “ perhaps you can tell me 
what I did with myself during these seven days 
you assert I spent in England.” 

“ Willingly,” replied Tancred, taking him up 
promptly, much to his astonishment and dismay, 
“ you left your valet in Paris with the luggage, 
and told him you were going to see some friends 
at Amiens. Instead of stopping there, howevei;, 
you came straight on to London, in order to find 
out the true position of affairs between Mazzucata 
and Sir Gilbert Tressinger. lima Celinski, whom 
you pretended to love, told you all you wished to 
know, and in order to frighten Madame Mazzucata 


262 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


into breaking off the match, you determined to 
send her a Black Carnation, of which flower you 
knew she was supei*stitiously afraid. Not knowing 
where to get one, you asked lima Celinski, who 
informed you about Maxwell being the father of 
Mazzucata, and possessor of the Black Carnation. 
Thereupon, you went to Lippinton and stole a bud 
from the plant when you were in the greenhouse 
with Maxwell. On returning to town, you were 
afraid to send it direct to Mazzucata, lest she should 
guess the sender was in London, so you forwarded 
it to Paris enclosed in an envelope, which you 
directed your valet to post in Paris, which he did. 
Then you left a letter at Amiens, which the station- 
master was requested to post on the fifteenth, 
directed to your servant in Paris, telling him to 
come on. He did so, and you, pretending that you 
went on from Amiens on the fifteenth, met him in 
London, so to all appearances you arrived from the 
'Easton the sixteenth of May. Now, what do you 
say, Mr. Dallas. Is your time sufficiently accounted 
for?” 

Dallas tried to answer, but his throat was so dry 
that he could not utter a word, but sat there look- 
ing deadly pale, with an expression of horror on 
his face as though he saw in his mind’s eye the 


TUB BLACK CARNATION. 


208 


abyss which lay before him. Evidently, he was 
thinking that if Tancred knew this much, the 
chances were that he knew more, and the very idea 
of such a thing caused him to shudder at the 
consequence of such unforeseen knowledge. 

“ Well, Mr. Dallas,” said Tancred, for the second 
time, “ and what do you say now ? ” 

“ I say that all this is false.” 

“ Impossible. I have evidence to the contrary.” 

“ You have had me watched.” 

“ By no means. All this evidence can be verified 
by your valet Dabsworth, and by lima Celinski.” 

“ lima Celinski,” repeated Dallas, with a gesture 
of despair, “ then that woman has betrayed me.” 

“ If you like to call it so, yes, but she did not 
play you false until you betrayed her. You said 
that you loved her, when you worshipped Madame 
Mazzucata.” 

“ Yes, that is true, but now ” 

“ Now,” interrupted Tancred, boldly, “ you love 
Miss Maxwell.” 

“ What ? that blind woman,” said Dallas de- 
risively ; “ there you are quite wrong. I do not 
care two straws about her.” 

“ Then you still care about lima Celinski.” 

“ I hate her,” said Dallas, between his clenched 


204 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


teeth, “.the traitress — she has behaved shame- 
fully.” 

“ Not more shamefully than you, Mr. Dallas,” 
cried I, indignantly, “ seeing that you suggested 
that evidence which was intended to hang Sir 
Gilbert Tressinger.” 

“ Who says I did such a thing ? ” 

“lima Celinski.” 

“ I am being betrayed on all sides. I congratu- 
late you on your craft, gentlemen. But whither 
does all this tend ? ” 

“ To the exculpation of Sir Gilbert Tressinger.” 

“ I hate him ! I hate him ! ” cried Dallas, vin- 
dictively, “he stole from me the heart of the 
woman I loved.” 

“ Yes,” I replied, with irony, “ the woman you 
loved so much that you murdered her.” 

Dallas sprang to his feet with a cry of rage. 

“ It is false ! false. Major Granby ! I acknowl- 
edge that all your evidence about Paris, about 
the Black Carnation, about my visit to Lippinton 
is true, but I do not acknowledge that I killed 
Mazzucata. I swear by all that I hold most sacred 
that I am innocent of this crime.” 

“ Then why did you change the bouquets, at 
the H 6 tel Europa?” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


265 


“ lima again,” said Dallas, bitterly ; “ the little 
fiend. Yes. I did change the bouquets, at the 
H6tel Europa and why ? because I thought that Sir 
Gilbert would personally give the flowers to Maz- 
zucata, and that I would have the happiness of 
seeing her appear on the stage with my bouquet, 
instead of his own. He defeated my object by 
throwing his flowers, as I did, from the stalls ; but 
I swear that it was for that reason I changed the 
bouquets. Do you not believe me ? ” 

“We can only judge your present conduct by 
your past,” returned Tancred, diplomatically, “ and 
how can you expect us to believe you, after all the 
falsehoods you have told.” 

The young man flushed red with anger, at being 
thus so contemptuously spoken to, and, angry as I 
was at his behavior, I could not but feel sorry for 
the position in which he was placed, knowing he 
could not resent Tancred’s plain speaking, how- 
ever he might wish to do so. At first, I thought 
he would leave the room, but he now seemed to 
recognize the extremity of his danger, and swal- 
lowing his pride, spoke calmly and to the point. 

“ I admit to you, Mr. Tancred, that I have not 
hitherto confined myself strictly to the truth. 


^66 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


but that was simply because I resented your inter- 
ference in my private affairs.” 

“ When your actions become dangerous to the 
life and liberty of another man, they are no longer 
private. You have acted in a scoundrelly fashion, 
Mr. Dallas, quite unworthy of a man who calls 
himself a gentleman. However, I think that you 
are now coming to your senses, and, if so, I will 
expect you to give us a full history of all your 
disgraceful conduct before leaving this room.” 

“ And if I refuse ? ” muttered Dallas, savagely, 
dropping back into his seat. 

“ If you refuse, I will apply for a warrant for 
your arrest.” 

“ You have no evidence.” 

“ Pardon me, the evidence of lima Celinski im- 
plicating you in the affair will be quite enough 
for a magistrate to grant a warrant. Your pro- 
posed victim. Sir Gilbert Tressinger, was arrested 
on far slighter grounds.” 

I saw, plainly, that Tancred was trying a game 
of bluff, for as we were doubtful of the attitude 
taken up by lima Celinski, it would have been a 
difficult matter to have got a warrant issued. Still 
the only way to deal with Dallas was to put him 
in deadly fear — if not of his life, at lea^it o'; i 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


267 


lie exposure — and that this course was a good one 
was proved by the way in which he surrendered 
to Tancred. From defiant he became meek, from 
excited he became quiet, and throwing off his air 
of injured dignity, which he now found was quite 
useless, he assumed a bold, brazen, manner, which 
was absolutely appalling. Up to this time, in 
spite of his questionable behavior, I certainly sup- 
posed Dallas to be a gentleman, but now, really 
I cannot trust myself to speak on the subject, and 
the sooner I set down the end of this disgraceful 
scene the better. 

“ If you think that you will release Tressinger 
by putting me in his place you are very much 
mistaken,” he said, with brazen assurance. “ I see 
you have the whip-hand of me, so I may as well 
tell you all I know, but such a confession will in 
no way help you, for, in spite of your kind sus- 
picion, I know no more than you do who killed 
Mazzucata.” 

“We will judge of that for ourselves when we 
hear your confession.” 

“ Very good. I merely warn you not to be too 
sanguine. As I admitted before, I met Mazzucata 
in Milan and asked her to marry me, but she re- 
fused. I then went away to the East, thinking 


268 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


travel would cure me of my love, but found my mis- 
take ; for when I returned to Paris on the seventh 
of May I was more in love than ever. I had hoped 
to find Mazzucata* in Paris, but she had left a few 
days before with Tressinger. Then I heard all the 
gossip about them, and being jealous, determined 
to go to England secretly, and see for myself how 
matters stood. I told my servant that I was going 
to Amiens, as I did not wish him to know London 
was my destination.” 

“ But your reason for such secrecy ? ” 

- “ Because I am an exception to most people, and 
like to be a hero to my valet. Dabsworth knew 
that I was in love with Mazzucata, and I did not 
wish him to know I was going to England on her 
account. Oh ! I know you will think it a weak 
reason — still it was my only reason, for I hate ser- 
vants’ gossip, and besides, did not want Dabsworth 
to gossip with Tressinger’s valet, whom he knew, 
about my infatuation.” 

“ Well, sir, for the sake of argument, we wdll 
grant that this was your reason for secrecy, though 
I think it but a slight one.” 

“ You can think what you please,” retorted 
Dallas, in a sulky tone. “ I am now telling you 
the truth. When I left Paris I came straight to 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


269 


London, and had no difficulty in finding out all I 
wished to know. Mazzucata was engaged to marry 
Sir Gilbert, and I, who loved her so dearly, was 
left out in the cold.” 

“ You are well known in town, Mr. Dallas,” I 
said, at this moment, “ so how was it that you 
gathered all this information without being seen ? ” 

“ Because I never showed myself,” he replied, 
cunningly. “ I stayed at a third-rate hotel in the 
Strand, and sent for lima Celinski, who I knew 
was in love with me. She came to my hotel, and 
did all I wished ; told me of Sir Gilbert’s infat- 
uation, of Mazzucata’s love. I was enraged, and 
knowing Mazzucata’s superstition about the Black 
Carnation, I thought if I could send her one, it 
would frighten her into giving up any idea of 
marriage.” 

“ Dog in the manger. You could not marry her 
yourself, and did not want anyone else to have 
her.” 

“ Exactly,” replied Dallas, coolly. “ You have 
hit it, my dear major. Well, I did not know where 
a Black Carnation was to be found until lima told 
me. She also informed me that Mazzucata was 
the daughter of Maxwell, a gardener at Lippin- 
ton. So down there I went ” 


270 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ And stole the Black Carnation.” 

“ Pardon me, I did not steal it. Maxwell gave 
me the flower of his own free will.” 

“ He denies that.” 

“ Then he is speaking falsely. No one could 
steal a bud from that plant without his knowledge, 
so closely is it guarded — no — he gave me the flower 
himself.” 

“ How did you induce him to do such a thing ? ” 
asked Tancred, rather puzzled. 

“ I can’t tell you his reason. All I know is, that 
I asked him for a Black Carnation, to send to a 
lady, and he refused. When he heard the lady 
was Madame Mazzucata, he consented to give me 
a flower, and I came away with a blossom.” 

“ Strange,” murmured Tancred, to himself, “ he 
would not give the flower until he heard it was 
for his daughter. What does it mean? Mr. 
Dallas,” he added, aloud, “ did Maxwell know that 
you were informed Mazzucata was his daughter ? ” 

“ No, at least, I never told him so. I mentioned 
the name of Mazzucata. He gave me the flower, 
and I left Lippinton. In order to make things 
safer for myself, I decided to post the flower from 
Paris.” 

“ Yes, and sent it in an envelope with an English 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


271 


stamp and postmark, thus showing your hand to 
Dabsworth.” 

“ That was an oversight, I admit, hut as I am 
not used to such intrigue, the mistake is excus- 
able. At all events, I sent it to Paris, and it duly 
came back to Mazzucata in England. Then I 
wrote, as you know, from Amiens, for my servant, 
and, as you say, ostensibly arrived in London on 
the sixteenth of May. That is all I have to say 
about the matter.” 

“But is lima Celinski’s story of the changing of 
the bouquets true ? ” 

“ Perfectly true. But my bouquet was made up 
exactly the same as that of Sir Gilbert’s — white 
flowers and black rose. I had no second Black 
Carnation.” 

“But in Ilma’s evidence she says the Black 
Carnation was on the table, so, suppose we substi- 
tute the name of Dallas for Tressinger, and say 
that the flower was placed in the bouquet by that 
gentleman.” 

“ I tell you, Mr. Tancred, I did not do anything 
save change the bouquets, and my reason you already 
know. There was no Carnation on the table, and, 
so far as I know, Gilbert’s bouquet was as innocent 
as mine.” 


272 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“Do you swear that your bouquet had no car- 
tridge concealed in it ? ” 

“ Yes, I SAvear it. Where could I get a dynamite 
cartridge, and arrange it to explode at a set time. 
I know nothing of such things ; and when the ex- 
plosion took place, I was as thunderstruck as any- 
one in the theatre.” 

“ If, then, you knew the bouquet thrown by 
Tressinger, which was your own, was perfectly 
innocuous, why did you tell lima Celinski to make 
those false statements in court?” 

“ Because I hated Tressinger, and still hate him.” 

“ So much so that you wish to see him die on 
the gallows? ” 

“ No,” said Dallas, vehemently; “ much as I hate 
him, I would not have let the matter go so far. 
I merely wished to punish him by imprisonment, 
but at the trial I intended to let the real story be 
known.” 

“ A pretty position you would occupy then.” 

“ It would not matter to me,” retorted Dallas, 
with great coolness ; “ as I merely intended to send 
you, Mr. Tancred, a confession of all I have told 
to-day, and then leave England before you could 
lay hands on me. As it is, I am going to leave 
England shortly.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


273 


“ Not until Tressinger is free, and this mystery 
solved,” said I, hastily. 

“ Oh, certainly, I will wait till Tressinger is 
free, as, now that he has been punished, I wish 
him no further harm ; but, as to the solving of the 
mystery — that is impossible. I can’t wait in Eng- 
land all my life.” 

“ Then you don’t think we will discover who 
killed Mazzucata,” said Tancred, after a pause. 

Dallas shrugged his shoulders. 

“ Not unless chance reveals the secret. I have 
told you all I know, and you see it does not help 
you in the least. Neither my bouquet, nor that of 
Tressinger’s, contained any explosive, so you must 
search for a third bouquet, to discover the culprit. 
Well, gentlemen, have I your permission to go?” 

“ For the present, yes,” replied Tancred, as 
Dallas took up his hat and stick ; “ but don’t you 
try and go away, for I will have you watched.” 

“ As you please,” he retorted, with the utmost 
indifference ; “ I am afraid I have disappointed 
you, by not confessing to the murder, but I can’t 
help that ; of one thing you may be certain, that, 
liad I been guilty, I would have cleared out of 
England at once, as soon as I knew Major Granby 
had been to Lippinton.” 


18 


274 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ I have my doubts of you yet,” said I, as he 
moved towards the door. 

“ Have you, indeed ! I am much obliged ; but 
your ideas are all wrong. Good-bye, Mr. Tancred ; 
and you, major, won’t you shake hands ? ” 

“ Sir ! ” I said, drawing myself up to my full 
height. “ I only shake hands with gentlemen, 
and you have forfeited all right to that title.” 

It was a hard thing to say, I admit, but he 
deserved it thoroughly ; and the shot went home, 
for he blushed crimson, and without another word, 
turned on his heel and left the room. 

“ Well,” said I, to Tancred, when the scoundrel 
had departed ; “ what is to be done now ? ” 

“Nothing,” he replied, with a sigh, “except, 
wait for the report of Melchizedek.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


275 


CHAPTER XYL 

ALONE I DID IT. 

After this eminently unsatisfactory interview 
with Dallas, I made up my mind to have nothing 
more to do with this case and to go abroad in 
search of forgetfulness. It was, no doubt, a rather 
selfish resolution ; but just think how my health 
was suffering under this constant strain of un- 
satisfied curiosity. Besides, I had done my best to 
find out the truth, yet, was as far from such a 
discovery as ever. I had interviewed Dallas, 
Tressinger, Ivan, lima Celinski, Maxwell, Dabs- 
worth, and Phillis & Co., yet had obtained no satis- 
factory clue from any of them, which was extremely 
discouraging. The best thing for me to do was 
to throw up the case, and let others solve the mys- 
tery ; therefore, having come to this conclusion, 
as before stated, I determined to go abroad. 

So firmly was my mind made up, that I had ac- 


276 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK, 


tually glanced through Bradshaw in search of some 
pleasant continental watering-place — I had even 
given Pointer orders to pack up for instant departure, 
— when I suddenly changed my mind, on account 
of Gilbert. I really could not leave him in the 
lurch, for I was, at this time, his only true friend ; 
and it was not a pleasant idea to think that he was 
in prison while I was free. My conscience smote 
me as I thought how prone I was to consider my 
own comfort ; therefore, I threw Bradshaw aside, 
I countermanded my orders to Pointer, and decided 
to remain on the spot, in order to make one final 
effort to help my poor friend. 

Two or three days had now elapsed since Dallas 
had confessed his sins, and, during that time, I 
had frequently conversed with Tancred on the 
asj)ect of affairs, with which he was anything but 
satisfied. We saw Gilbert and told him all we 
had learned ; but Tressinger could not help us in 
any way, -and from the tangled mass of conflicting 
evidence, the three of us were unable to deduce 
any reasonable theory. I have already set forth 
five theories, but one upset the other ; and in the 
end, as all proved useless, *1 was in a state of 
despair. Tancred also confessed to me that he 
was unable to see his way to a satisfactory con- 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


277 


elusion ; so we were both at a standstill, when 
Fate intervened, and solved the problem with the 
utmost ease and dispatch. 

All this time Melchizedek made no sign, and we 
were much puzzled as to what could be his reason 
for this persistent silence. However, notwithstand- 
ing his apparent inaction, Tancred had every con- 
fidence in his judgment, and . declared that he kept 
silent for some good reason. I had my doubts on 
the subject, as I considered that he should have 
made a daily report of how things progressed at 
Lippinton ; and would have gone down there 
myself, but that Tancred entreated me not to 
do so. 

“ Leave Melchizedek to his own devices, major,” 
he said, when I urged the necessity of making in- 
quiries. “ If there is anything to be discovered, 
he is the man to make such discovery, and, in his 
own good time, he will tell us all that he thinks 
necessary.” 

“Yes; but you forget, that all this time Tres- 
singer is in prison ; that the time of his trial is 
drawing near, and there is not yet any provision 
made for a proper defence.” 

“ Melchizedek knows the date of the trial, and 
will report to me all that he has seen before then. 


278 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


What with one thing and another, we will be able 
to prove Tressinger’s innocence.” 

“ I trust so, Tancred ; but I confess I am not 
sanguine. Besides, our most important witnesses 
are Dallas and lima Celinski, who may leave the 
country before the trial comes off.” 

“ Have no fear on that score, major. They can- 
not move a step without my knowing it.” 

“ You are having them watched? ” 

“ Yes. Ivan, Dallas, and lima Celinski are all 
being watched, while Melchizedek, at Lippinton, 
keeps his eye on the Maxwells.” 

“ I have no faith in Melchizedek.” 

“ You are wrong. Melchizedek will find out 
more than you or I put together.” 

“ What, at Lippinton ? ” 

“ Major Granby, a word in your ear. The solu- 
tion of this mystery will be found at Lippinton.” 

“I don’t believe that.” 

“Don’t you?. I do, and in a few days, events 
will prove that my belief is well founded.” 

This is only a sample of the many conversations 
which we had of this unsatisfactory nature — all 
talk, talk, talk, which led to nothing. Yet, in the 
end, Tancred proved to be right, for the solution 
of the secret was discovered at Lippinton, though 


rUE BLACK CAKNAriOIT. 


279 


it was revealed to myself and Tancred in London. 

It was on Tuesday that we had interviewed 
Dallas, and, as three days had elapsed since then, 
it was now Saturday, when, somewhere about 
three o’clock, I was seated in the writing-room of 
the Old Friends’ Club, thinking of melancholy 
things. This arose, not from indigestion, but be- 
cause I had that day been to see Tressinger, and 
the sight of one’s dearest friend in a prison cell is 
enough to render sad the most unemotional man. 
I am not an unemotional man, therefore, you may 
guess how very dismal I felt, so much so, indeed, 
that I was just in the mood to call on Tancred 
and talk over the case. In fact, I had all but 
made up my mind to do so, when Pointer entered 
the room with a letter for me. 

“ It came a quarter of an hour ago, sir,” said this 
admirable servant, “ and, as it was marked ‘ im- 
mediate’ I brought it on here at once.” 

“ Quite right. Pointer,” I answered, tearing open 
the envelope, “ I see it is from Mr. Tancred.” 

That gentleman writes an uncommonly bad 
hand, but by the aid of my eyeglass, and a little 
patience, I gathered that he wished to see me at 
once on important business, the latter two words 
being underlined. 


280 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ I wonder what’s up now,” said I to myself, as 
I went out to get my hat. “ Call me a hansom. 
Pointer, with a good horse. Queer, I should get 
this just as I was thinking of going to see him,” 
I continued, when Pointer went out to execute 
his commission. “ I wonder if he has solved the 
mystery.” 

On my way to the Temple I was a good deal 
exercised in my mind as to the reason of this sudden 
call, and at length came to the conclusion that 
Melchizedek had come up from Lippinton to make 
his report. Evidently, he had discovered some- 
thing extraordinary, else Tancred, who is generally 
a very cool fellow, would never have sent for me 
post-haste in this manner. I detest surprises, as 
they make me feel nervous, so I determined to 
give Tancred a hit of my mind in the event of the 
journey proving not worth the trouble. 

Cool did I call him ? He looked anything but 
cool when I arrived at the door of his room, for 
there he was waiting for me, having heard my 
footsteps as I ascended the stairs, and his first 
action was to seize me by the hand in order to 
the more conveniently whisper in my ear. 

“ Major,” he said, hurriedly, “ I have discovered 
the truth.” 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 281 

“ Oh, indeed. Has Melchizedek come up from 
Lippinton ? ” 

“ Melchizedek ! no ; but someone else has arrived 
from the same place.” 

“Maxwell?” 

“ His daughter. ” 

“ What, -that blind girl,” I said, in astonishment ; 
“ what has she come up for ? ” 

“ To tell us who killed Mazzucata.” 

“ The deuce ! And who is the culprit? ” 

Tancred reflected for a moment, and made up 
his mind. 

“ No ! I will not tell you myself,” he said, lead- 
ing me towards the door of his rooms ; “ I will let 
Miss Maxwell tell her own story.” 

“ But, Tancred ” 

“ Hush, major ! not a word. Here is Miss Max- 
well.” 

When we entered, she was seated at the far end 
of the room with her head bent, and her two hands 
clasped tightly together on her lap. She arose to 
her feet on hearing our footsteps, and asked the 
following strange question : — 

“ Is that a police officer ? ” 

“ A police officer,” I repeated, hurrying forward 
to shake her by the hand, “ good heavensj, no. Miss 


282 the black CAMNATION. 

Maxwell. I am Major Granby, vfho called to see 
your father at Lippinton.’’ 

“ Major Granby ! ’’ she cried, disengaging her 
hand from mine, “ and can you greet me like this, 
knowing what you do.” 

“ I don’t understand,” I began, in a puzzled 
tone, when Tancred interrupted me to address 
Miss Maxwell, in what I thought was a rather 
stern voice. 

“ At present. Miss Maxwell, nothing is known 
to Major Granby.” 

“ Must I tell him also ? ” she whispered, clasp- 
ing her hands together. “ Oh, surely I need not 
repeat that shameful story ! Mr. Tancred, have 
mercy, and send for a policeman at once to arrest 
me.” 

“ Arrest you,” I cried, more in the dark than 
ever, “ and for what ? ” 

“ For the murder of my sister.” 

“ Great heavens ! Did you murder Mazzu- 
cata ? ” 

“ Yes ; I alone committed the crime.” 

Thunderstruck with amazement, I turned 
towards Tancred, who was looking at both of us 
in silence, and touched my forehead significantly 
with my hand. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


283 


“ Mad.” 

“No, I am not mad,” cried Miss Maxwell, sink- 
ing into her chair. “ I am a miserable, wicked 
woman, who killed my twin sister out of jeal- 
ousy.” 

“ Tancred, this is absurd.” 

“ Unfortunately, it is the truth,” he replied 
sadly, motioning to me to seat myself, “ I have 
heard the story, and there is no doubt that it is 
as she says.” 

“ Miss Maxwell,” I said, addressing her directly, 
“ I have not heard your story, but I cannot, and 
will not believe that you committed this crime.” 

A faint color flushed her cheeks, and she half 
involuntarily held out her hand, but withdrew it 
immediately with a sigh. 

“ You are very good to speak so kindly. Major 
Granby, but you will change your opinion when I 
tell you all.” 

“ Well, Miss Maxwell, it will take a lot to con- 
vince me of the truth of this statement, but I am 
ready to hear what you have to say.” 

“ Must I tell the story again ? ” she said, in an 
appealing manner to Tancred. 

“ I am afraid it will be necessary. Miss Max- 
well,” he replied, coldly, upon which, sensitive to 


284 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


the marked sternness of his tone, she shuddered 
slightly. 

“ It is part of my punishment,” she said, faintly, 
“ hut it is only what I deserve. Yes, Major Gran- 
by, I will tell you all, and then you will see how 
wicked I have been.” 

“ I am all attention. Miss Maxwell,” I replied, a 
doubt beginning to creep into my heart, in spite 
of my desire to believe in her innocence. 

“ Myself and Marietta Mazzucata were twins,” 
she began, in a firm tone, “ but ever since I can 
remember, there existed no sisterly affection 
between us in any way. W e were physically very 
much alike, but our natures were quite dissimilar, 
as she had a soft, sweet disposition, while mine 
was hard, proud, unyielding, and jealous. She 
had a beautiful voice, she was a brilliant musician, 
and attracted much attention, while I, possessing 
no accomplishments, was also blind from my birth. 
She, adorned with beauty, talent and ambition, 
was attractive in the highest degree ; but I was 
neglected on all sides while she was present. My 
father is a hard, self-contained man, very bigoted 
in matters of religion, but even he yielded to the 
fascinations of my sister and treated her kindly, 
far more kindly than he ever treated me. Seeing, 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


285 


then, that she possessed all, and I nothing, I began 
to grow madly jealous of her in every way, and at 
last hated her so much that I refused to speak to 
her.” 

“ An unwomanly feeling,” I murmured, aston- 
ished at this unexpected revelation. 

“ Yes, it was unwomanly, I own,” she answered, 
quickly, “ but you don’t know what it is. Major 
Granby, to sit on one side, despised and neglected, 
while another is praised and loved. Yes, I hated 
my sister. I would gladly have seen her dead, and 
all her perfections buried in the grave.” 

“ You are mad to talk like this.” 

“Yes, I was mad; I am mad. Mad with 
neglect and scorn. Who was she, to gain all, 
while I was lower than the dust? Oh, how I 
despised and hated her ! As I said, we never 
spoke to one another, nor did she tell me any of 
her secrets, therefore, I was much astonished to 
hear one morning from my father that she had left 
the house with the intention of going on the stage 
as a singer. He is an eminently religious man, 
who is narrow in his views, a follower of Calvin, 
and one who looks upon the theatre as a pit of 
iniquity. Many times have I heard him say that 
he would rather see his daughter dead than on the 


286 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


stage; therefore, when I heard, that in direct 
opposition to his wishes, she had gone away to 
appear as a singer, I was not astonished when he 
forbade her name to be mentioned, and cursed her 
as an undutiful daughter. I was glad she de- 
parted, as it relieved me from the hatefulness of 
enduring her presence, and 1 encouraged my father 
in his detestation of what she had done.” 

“ Spare us these remarks. Miss Maxwell,” said 
Tancred, in a tone of disgust; “remember she is 
dead.” 

“ Dead ! ” repeated the woman in a melancholy 
tone, “ yes, she is dead, and I would I were also.” 

“ Pray continue your story. Miss Maxwell.” 

“For many months we heard nothing of my sis- 
ter,” she resumed quietly, “ but at length the news 
came that she had appeared on the stage with great 
success, under the name of Marietta ^lazzucata. 
As I told you, m}^ father forbade her name to be 
mentioned to him, but notwithstanding that, I 
managed to hear all about my sister and of her 
many triumphs. It is true I am blind, and there- 
fore unable to read the papers, but an old servant, 
who has to-day come up with me to town, used to 
procure from the railway book-stall all the news- 
papers containing notices of the celebrated IMazzu- 


THE BLACK CABKATICN. 


287 


cata, and read them to me. Many sisters would 
have been pleased at her success, but I was not, for 
it only made me feel the more acutely how 
thoroughly my infirmity cut me off from the world. 
I hated to hear of her triumphs, yet could not resist 
desiring to know all about them ; consequently, 
when my sister came back to England to appear 
at Covent Garden, I was thoroughly enraged, and 
cast about in my own mind as to some means of 
preventing her appearance.” 

“ What a horrible nature ! ” I said, in a low tone. 

“ Yes, very horrible, but I could not help my- 
self,” she replied, with unnecessary vehemence. 
“ I heard of her rich, famous and courted ; I, her 
twin sister, was poor, unknown, and neglected, and 
1 hated her for it — oh, how I hated her. In some 
way or another, I determined to harm her, and, 
when Mr. Dallas came to Lippinton in search of 
the Black Carnation, I determined to punish her, 
if I could, for her success.” 

“ Did Mr. Dallas steal the Black Carnation ? ” 

“ Yes, he did, and I also, unknown to my father, 
plucked a bud.” 

“ But your reason ? ” 

“ Because I wished my sister to know that I was 
the cause of her punishment.” 


288 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Of her death, you mean.” 

“ No ! ” replied the wretched woman, vehement- 
ly ; “I did not wish to kill her, but only to harm 
her, in some way ; to disfigure her beauty, not to 
take her life.” 

“You are a fiend,” I cried, indignantly. 

“ I am what I am,” she answered, stolidly ; “ let 
me go on with my tale of revenge.” 

“ Mr. Dallas, I presume, sent the flower, as I 
knew he did, from the mouth of Signor Ivan, who 
came to Lippinton to ask my father about the Black 
Carnation. After he had conversed with my father, 
I saw him, and he spoke about Mazzucata, when I 
told him she was my sister. During our conversa- 
tion, he pulled out his pocket-handkerchief, and 
with it a dynamite cartridge, — one which I after- 
wards learned would explode when the spring was 
touched. It fell into my lap, and I picked it up, 
when he snatched it from me with a cry of alarm, 
and explained how dangerous it was. Then the 
idea came into my head, that, if I could only obtain 
possession of that cartridge, and, placing it in the 
handle of a bouquet, give it to my sister, she would, 
unwittingly, touch the spring and the explosion 
would take place.” 

“A devilish idea.” 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 289 

“ I did not wish to kill her. I swear I did not 
wish to kill her,” cried the woman, clasping her 
hands ; “ I only wished to disfigure her — to end her 
career on the stage, but I did not desire her death.” 

She was now sobbing bitterly, but, despite a 
naturally generous nature, I could not find it in 
my heart to pity this woman, so desirous of the 
death of her sister — that sister, whose only fault 
was success. 

“ How did you get this bouquet sent to Mazzu- 
cata ? ” I said, repressing my disgust. 

“ I generally make up bouquets myself,” she 
replied, drying her eyes ; “ and, in order to let my 
sister know that this special bouquet came from me, 
I made it of white flowers, with a Black Carnation 
in the center. The handle, as I have told you 
before, was made of the cartridge of Signor Ivan.” 

“ But how did you get the cartridge ? I thought 
you said Signor Ivan had taken it from you.” 

“ So he did, and placed it for safety in his over- 
coat pocket. Then my father saw him again for a 
few minutes, and while his back was turned I 
picked his pocket.” 

“ Thief as well as murderess.” 

“ Oh ! have pity, pity,” she murmured, stretching 

out her hands. But I felt no pity, for this v/oman 
19 


290 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


was vile in the extreme, and quite undeserving of 
any kindness. 

“ Go on, Miss Maxwell,” said Tancred, stolidly. 
“ Let us finish this painful business as soon as 
possible.” 

“ When the bouquet was finished,” she said, 
recovering herself with a powerful effort, “ I did 
not know how to give it to my sister, and de- 
termined to go to town in order to do so. My father 
was sending some flowers up to Phillis & Co., so, 
with our old servant Jane, I went up to tovvii with 
them. On arriving at Phillis & Co. I showed them 
my bouquet, when one of the girls asked me if I 
would give it to them for Sir Gilbert Tressinger, 
who had ordered one similar to it for Mazzucata 
that night. I saw at once a chance of getting it 
given to Mazzucata without any danger, therefore 
I left it. The rest you know. Sir Gilbert took 
the bouquet, which was thrown to my sister, and 
when the explosion took place it killed her.” 

“ Yes, I know that. Miss Maxwell. But you are 
wrong in thinking Sir Gilbert threw the bouquet, 
for he went to the H6tel Europa when the bouquets 
were changed.” 

“ What bouquets ? ” 

“ Mr. Dallas also ordered a bouquet for Mazzucata, 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


291 


similar to that of Sir Gilbert, and with the desire 
of his own being given first to Mazzncata, he 
changed the bouquets, therefore, as he took Sir 
Gilbert’s, which was the one you prepared, it was 
Mr. Dallas who threw the fatal bouquet.” 

“ Then Sir Gilbert will now be released.” 

‘‘ Assuredly, and you will be arrested.” 

“ I am willing to he arrested at once,” she cried, 
rising to her feet. “ Call in a policeman and give 
me in charge.” 

“ I don’t wish to give you in charge just yet,” 
said Tancred, awkwardly, for, basely as she had 
acted, the woman was blind, and deserving of pity. 

“ Why not ? I swear, if you do not give me in 
charge, I will go and do so myself. Why will you 
not have me arrested ? ” 

“ Because I don’t know if your story is true.” 

“ It is true,” she said, earnestly. “ I swear it 
is true.” 

“I have my doubts of that,” said Tancred, 
quietly. “ People who commit crimes, don’t, as a 
rule, give themselves up.” 

“ I did so because I would have been arrested 
sooner or later. That Jew you sent down to 
Lippinton knows all. He overheard my confession 
to my father, and would have arrested me at once ; 


292 


THE BLACK CARNATIOK. 


but I thought it best to come up and see you, Mr. 
Tancred, to say that I was guilty, and ask you to 
release Sir Gilbert.” 

“ What do you think, major ? ” 

“ Her story seems likely enough,” said I, with a 
sigh. ‘‘ There is no doubt she committed the 
crime.” 

“ Then I am afraid I must call a policeman, and 
give you in charge.” 

“ Yes ; do ! do ! ” she cried, anxiously. 

Tancred looked doubtfully at her. 

“ Miss Maxwell,” he said, at length, ‘‘ you have 
told a vile story, and accused yourself of a vile 
crime ; but I will not give you in charge.” 

“ But, why ? ” she murmured, faintly. “ What 
is your reason ? ” 

“ The best of all possible reasons — I don’t believe 
you murdered Mazzucata.” 

MAJOR GRANBY’S THEORY. 

NIJMBEE, SIX. 

I AM inclined to agree with Tancred, and 
believe that Miss Maxwell is innocent of the crime, 
my reasons for such belief being as follows ; — 

The whole story is extremely unlikely. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


293 


Miss Maxwell does not account for the super- 
stition believed in by her sister — that the warning 
of the Black Carnation would be the forerunner 
of her death. 

Miss Maxwell says she placed a Black Carna- 
tion in the fatal bouquet ; and, if this was the case, 
two buds would be missing from the tree, whereas, 
to all showing, there is but one lost. 

If there had been a Black Carnation in the bou- 
quet, Phillis & Co. would have noticed it ; and, 
after the evidence of lima Celinski being made 
public, would have given notice to the police. 

Phillis & Co. said nothing about her visit to 
them ; whereas, her striking resemblance to Maz- 
zucata would surely have been commented upon. 


294 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE TRUTH. 

Before I left Tancred’s chamber, it was arranged 
that Miss Maxwell and her servant should go, for 
the present, to an hotel in Fleet Street, close to 
the Temple, where she could he watched. Tan- 
cred, after due consideration, refused to believe 
her extraordiflary story, and decided to take no 
step until he had communicated with Melchizedek. 
Neither of us could understand why Miss Maxwell 
should accuse herself of this crime, unless, as I sur- 
mised, it was because lima Celinski’s idea was 
true and she was in love with Dallas. This being 
the case, all would be easily accounted for, seeing 
that the evidence against Dallas was so strong ; 
and presuming him to be guilty of the crime, her 
love for him would be a sufficient excuse for her 
accusing herself wrongfully in order to shield 
him. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


295 


Tancred, however, scouted this theory as ridicu- 
lous, though I, the author of it, thought it a very 
feasible one, but what his own ideas were on the 
subject, I was quite unable to learn, owing to the 
obstinate silence he preserved. 

“ I have made quite enough mistakes, major,” 
he said, as I took my leave, “ and I am not going 
to make any more by suspecting the wrong people. 
There is only one man who will find out the truth, 
and that is our friend Melchizedek.” 

“ Who is still at Lippinton ? ” 

“ Yes ; but when he finds Miss Maxwell has 
come up to town he’ll follow her at once. In fact, 
I would not be surprised if he came up by to-night’s 
train.” 

As a matter of fact, Tancred proved to be a true 
prophet, for the next morning, which was Sunday, 
just as I was finishing breakfast, somewhere about 
ten o’clock, Melchizedek made his appearance at 
my rooms. 

“ Mornin’, sir,” he said, with a satisfied smile, 
“ I’m back again, sir.” 

“ When did you arrive ? ” 

“ By the night train, sir ; but it was too late to 
look up either you or Mr. Tancred, so I waited till 
now. I’m just on my way to the Temple, sir, and 


296 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


thinking you’d like to hear how I’ve got on, I 
called in here, sii-, to ask you to come with me.” 

“ Have you been successful ? ” 

“ Yes, sir. I’ve found out everything.” 

“ But how, Melchizedek, how ?” I cried, quickly 
putting on my coat, which Pointer brought to me. 
I riiay mention that I was not sitting in my shirt 
sleeves, but had on a smoking-jacket. 

“ How, sir?” said Melchizedek, calmly, “ why, 
sir, by playing a game of bluff.” 

“Wait a moment. Now, there. I’m ready; 
Pointer, a cab.” 

Pointer went off at once to get a hansom, and 
I followed slowly with Melchizedek. 

“ Who is guilty ? ” 

Melchizedek smoothed his hat, put it on his 
head, and winked his eye in a most vulgar manner. 

“ I’ll tell you that, sir, when I see Mr. Tail- 
ored.” 

“ What about Miss Maxwell ? ” 

“ Oh, she did her best, sir, but it was no go with 
him.” 

“ What do you mean, Melchizedek ? ” 

“ I’ll tell the story to both gents at once,” re- 
replied this dreadful person, obstinately ; and with 
this promise I was fain to be content, for though 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


297 


I questioned Melchizedek during our drive to the 
Temple, I could extract no information regarding 
his doings at Lippinton. 

When we arrived, Tancred was also at break- 
fast, but when he saw us, ran forward to greet, 
not me, but Melchizedek, whom he welcomed with 
effusive joy. Really, this little man was a most 
offensive person, and put me in mind of a bailiff, 
but as he was the only individual who could cure 
my detective fever, I was obliged to put up with 
his odious familiarity. Still, he had brains, this 
disreputable IlebreAV, else he would never have 
played such a bold game at Lippinton and won as 
he did. 

“ I am glad to see you, Melchizedek,” cried Tan- 
cred, forcing the little Jew into a chair. “ Have 
you anything to tell me ? ” 

“ Lots, sir.” 

“ And the major ? ” 

“ I know nothing.” 

“ No, sir, he knows nothing,” replied Melchize- 
dek, with a grin, “ I said I’d tell you two gents 
together, and that’s what I’m going to do.” 

“ Good. Put us out of this misery of suspense 
at once. Have you discovered who killed Mazzu- 
cata ? ” 


298 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


“ I have, sir.” 

“ You are certain ? ” 

“ Got his confession here.” 

“ His confession,” we both cried, at once ; “ then 
it wasn’t Miss Maxwell who killed her sister ? ” 

“ No, sir, it wasn’t; ” replied Melchizedek, slowly, 
“ hut it was Mr. Maxwell who killed his daugh- 
ter.” 

“ Impossible,” we said, in chorus. 

“ Not a bit of it. I’ve got it here in black and 
white.” 

“ This, then, is why Miss Maxwell confessed,” 
said Tancred. 

“ To save her father,” ended I, with a gesture 
of admiration. 

“Well, it didn’t save him,” retorted the little 
Jew, producing a roll of paper, “ for I’ve got the 
whole truth here.” 

“ Sufficient to hang him ? ” 

“Twice over, but it won’t hang him, gents 
both.” 

“Why?” 

“ Because he’s hanged himself.” 

“ Suicide ? ” 

“ That’s so, gents both.” 

“ So Mazzucata’s assassin has escaped the clutches 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


299 


of the law,” said Tancred, after a pause, “ a strange 
ending to a strange case. Well, I’m not sorry, for 
his daughter’s sake.” 

“ She came up to split on him, didn’t she, gents ? ” 
said Melchizedek. 

We both indignantly repudiated the insinua- 
tion. 

“ No ! she came up here to take the burden of 
her father’s crime on her own shoulders.” 

“ I’m glad he didn’t know that, or I wouldn’t 
have got this,” observed Melchizedek, patting the 
confession affectionately. “ W ell, it don’t matter 
now. Have you got a drink, Mr. Tancred, sir ? ” 

Tancred brought out a bottle of cognac and a 
glass, and after Melchizedek had refreshed himself 
with what he vulgarly called “ a drain,” he wiped 
his mouth and began to talk. 

“ I suppose you want to know all about it, gents 
both?” 

“ From the beginning,” said Tancred, emphati- 
cally. 

Melchizedek slapped his knees with delight. 

“ Oh ! what a game, sir, what a game ! All 
bluff, every bit; and nothing behind it. But I 
played low, gents both ; and I won — won, sirs — 
hands down.” 


300 


THE BLACK C ABN AT ION. 


He was so pleased with himself, that he chuckled 
for at least two minutes over his own cleverness, 
much to the annoyance of Tancred and myself, 
who were impatient to hear all the particulars of 
this affair. Formerly, I had been under the im- 
pression that he was a somewhat reticent indivi- 
dual, who knew the value of words, and was, there- 
fore, sparing of his speech ; but now, that concep- 
tion of his character was quite destroyed, as he 
talked loudly and incessantly about his famous 
discovery at Lippinton. 

“ When I heard all that you gents had to say,” 
he began, as soon as his risible faculties were un- 
der control, “ I saw, at once, I did, that the truth 
was to be found at Lippinton, so to Lippinton I 
went.” 

I may here mention, that I give Melchizedek’s 
story in my own way, as his language was far too 
vulgar to set down here ; and my readers owe me 
a debt of gratitude for thus editing his conversa- 
tion, which was singularly rude and unpolished. 

“ What I thought was this,” resumed Mel- 
chizedek, thoughtfully : “ that Maxwell was a liar ; 
for he first said that Signor Ivan stole the bud, 
and then laid the blame on Mr. Dallas. Now, 
I didn’t believe that anyone could have stolen a 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


301 


Black Carnation from such a carefully guarded 
plant unless he knew it ; and if he gave away a 
bud to some person, he must know who it was. 
My idea was, that either himself or the other 
person committed the crime, and I went down to 
Lippinton with the intention of getting the truth 
out of him. I need not tell you, gents, how much 
in the dark I was, or how difficult it was to find 
out the truth ; for, as day after day went by, I 
could discover nothing, until I began to think all 
my time was wasted.” 

“And what put you on the right track?” 

“ That Miss Celinski, who gave evidence in 
court. Yes. She came down a couple of days 
ago, and ‘ went’ for Miss Maxwell like a fiend. 
This occurred in the garden, where I, also, was 
waiting to buy flowers. I bought flowers nearly 
every day, gents both. Oh ! I was a good cus- 
tomer there, sirs. Well, gents both, this Miss 
Celinski and Miss Maxwell were in love with Mr. 
Dallas, and made all sorts of statements, at which I 
pricked up my ears. Miss Maxwell denied every- 
thing, so Miss Celinski ‘ flung’ out of the garden 
in a rage, and I went after her. I saw she was 
jealous, and, by working on her jealousy, I managed 
to get everything out of her. She told me ” 


302 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


“ Oh, we know all that,” interrupted Tancred, 
quickly ; go on.” 

“I am going on, sir,” said Melchizedek, a trifle 
offended. “ I say, I found out that Mazzucata was 
the old man’s daughter ; and one day, in the garden, 
when he thought I wasn’t listening, I heard him 
‘ cussing ’ her like a pickpocket. Oh, then, I thought, 
to myself, ‘ You hate your daughter, because she 
went on the stage ; you own the Black Carnation ; 
she expected one to be the signal of her death, so 
I wouldn’t be surprised, if you had killed her.’ 
Well, gents both, I thought, and I thought hard, and 
then I came to the conclusion that, as Mazzucata 
was the old man’s daughter, he’d have gone up, 
and seen her on that first night. So, off I goes to 
the station, and makes a ‘ pal’ of one of the porters ; 
and there I found that old Maxwell had been up 
to town on that night — the sixteenth of May, — 
and had come down to Lippinton by the night 
mail — in evening di*ess ! ” 

“ But why in evening dress. A man in his 
position wouldn’t own an evening dress.” 

“ Oh, but he did, though,” replied Melchizedek. 
“ He was a bit of a swell, was old Maxwell, and a 
deacon of the church, too. Anyhow, he had an 
evening dress, and put it on to go to the opera.” 


THE BLACK CABJSTATION. 


303 


“ But his reason ? ” 

“ Well, sir, he couldn’t have got into the stalls 
of the theatre unless he’d been in evening dress.” 

“ He had no business in the stalls,” I said, an- 
grily ; “ a gardener.” 

“ Of course not, sir,” said Melchizedek with a 
wink, “ but he wanted to throw that bouquet, d’ye 
see.” 

“ Then those bouq^uets of Sir Gilbert and Mr. 
Dallas ” 

“ Were quite innocent. Yes, gents. There 
wasn’t any cartridge about them. The old gent 
was in the front row of the stalls with his bouquet, 
and threw it himself. After he saw his daughter 
killed he walked out of the theatre and came 
home again.” 

“ How did you find all this out ? ” 

“ By bluffing him. I went to see him early the 
other morning, and says to him, ‘ Look here, I’m 
a detective, and I’ve got a warrant for your arrest, 
for the murder of your daughter, Mazzucata.” He 
began to bluster and say he had no daughter of that 
name and that he knew nothing. So I told him 
what I’ve told you, that he’d gone up in evening 
dress on the first night, and killed her with the 
bouquet.” 


304 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ What did he say, then ? ” 

‘‘ Began talking about Mr. Dallas stealing the 
Black Carnation, so I said that he had given the 
Carnation, and that there was no stealing about it. 
Well, gents, I had a long tussle with him, but at 
last I got him on his knees, and he confessed every- 
thing. When he was at this, I heard a noise at 
the window, and saw Miss Maxwell disap]Dear, so 
I knew she had heard everything.” 

“ Brave woman,” I said, with admiration, “ and 
at once came up to town to try and save that old 
villain, by taking the blame on her own shoul- 
ders.” 

“ I guessed as much,” said Melchizedek, quietly, 
“ but I didn’t tell him so. When I found her gone, 
I said, ^ Your daughter has gone up to town to de- 
nounce you, so you’d better make a clean breast of 
it.’ Well he raged at me, and I bluffed him with 
the warrant, which, of course, was all stuff, and 
then he tried to kill me, but though I’m not strong, 
I’m pretty tough, and I licked him. In the end, I 
made him write out this confession, and sign it, 
so here it is.” 

“ And Maxwell ? ” 

I was going to wire to you to send down a war- 
rant, and keep my eye on him till then. After I’d 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


305 


got his confession, he saw he was ‘ up a tree,’ and 
as I wouldn’t let him out of my sight, he asked 
me to let him destroy the Black Carnation. I 
didn’t care if he did so or not, and».thinking he 
couldn’t hurt himself in the greenhouse, let him go 
in, while I kept guard near the door. Then I heard 
him smashing away at the Carnation, and after a bit, 
getting tired, went in to see him. Lord, sirs, he’d 
hanged himself, and the Black Carnation was all 
in bits under his feet. I cut him down, but he was 
as ‘ dead as a door-nail ; ’ so I called in the police, 
told them all, and came up last night by the late 
train. And now, gents both, I will read you the 
confession of the ‘ dead ’un,”’ 

“ By no means,” said Tancred, annoyed by the 
man’s vulgar familiarity, “ I will look over it my- 
self, and Major Granby can peruse it afterwards.” 

Melchizedek, rather crushed, held his peace ; and 
Tancred proceeded to skim the document, while I 
sat still, waiting until he had finished. After a 
time, however, I grew somewhat tired of this, and, 
as it did not interrupt Tancred, conversed in a low 
tone with the Jew. 

“ How did Maxwell get the dynamite cartridge ?” 

“ There was a singer called Ivan, sir, who went 

down to Lippinton, and had the cartridge in his 
20 


306 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


pocket. While he was talking to Miss Maxwell 
it rolled out and she picked it up. Signor Ivan 
took it from her, and described how dangerous it 
was, as, if she touched the spring, it would set the 
clock-work in motion and explode. Then he put it 
for safety into his overcoat pocket.” 

“ And Miss Maxwell stole it? ” 

“ No, she didn’t sir, but I dare say she says that 
to shield her father. Signor Ivan’s overcoat was 
lying on the back of a chair some little distance 
away, and while he was talking to Miss Maxwell, 
the old man, who had overheard the conversa- 
tion, picked it out of the pocket and kept it him 
self.” 

“ Did he intend to use it in killing his daughter? ” 

“ Yes, sir. He came up to town on the sixteenth, 
and intended to just set the clock-work in motion, 
and throw it on the stage, at Mazzucata. But busi- 
ness took him to Phillis &; Co., where he saw those 
two bouquets being made up for Mazzucata. He 
had a Black Carnation with him, which he intended 
to throw on the stage, along with the cartridge : 
so that his daughter would know he had thrown it. 
The bouquets gave him an idea, so he went off to 
another shop, bought some white flowers, and plac- 
ing the Black Carnation in the centre for a sign. 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


307 


completed the bouquet by making the dynamite 
cartridge into the handle.” 

“ By the way, Melchizedek,” interrupted Tail- 
ored, at this moment, “ you have made one mistake, 
for I see Maxwell did not possess a dress suit.” 

“ I thought he did.” 

“No. He confesses that he came up, as you 
state, to kill his daughter ; and, wanting to get as 
close to the stage as possible, went to buy a stall. 
As it was the night of the performance, all the 
stalls were sold ; but as one or two had come back, 
he purchased one in the front row, by giving a long 
price. The clerk at the box-office, seeing that he 
was a shabby old man, told him evening dress was 
indispensable, so he went to a shop in Oxford Street 
and hired an evening dress for the night. Then he 
made up the bouquet, as you have described, went 
to the theatre, and killed his daughter.” 

“ Does he give any reason for so doing ? ” I 
asked, with much interest. 

“ Well, I think he was mad. In your investiga- 
tions, Melchizedek, did you ever hear people say 
that Maxwell was out of his mind? ” 

“ I heard something about him having fallen 
down from a ladder on to liis feet, and that the 
shock had unsettled his brain.” 


308 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


“ It’s very likely,” said Tancred, tapping the 
confession ; “ this is the work of a religious maniac. 
It appears he thought his daughter was doomed to 
perdition, because she went on the stage, and 
thought by killing her in the midst of her iniquity 
he would save her soul. When he heard that she 
had made a successful dShut in Italy, he wrote and 
told her that, at the earliest opportunity, he would 
kill her, on the principle of the Roman Catholic 
Church of the middle ages, which burned bodies 
to save souls. In order, however, to give her time 
to repent, he said he would send her a Black Carna- 
tion, and as Mazzucata knew that no one but her 
father possessed such a flower, she would know the 
call to repentance came from him.” 

“ So that was the reason she said a Black Carna- 
tion would be a sign she would die a violent death.” 

“ Precisely. You can see what a madman her 
father was. Of course he gave the Black Carna- 
tion willingly to Dallas, in order that his erring 
daughter might receive it and repent.” 

“ Do you think he intended to kill her on the 
stage, Tancred ? ” 

“ I’m sure I don’t know what he intended to do,” 
replied Tancred, thoughtfully, “ but there was no 
doubt, that the incident of the dynamite cartridge. 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


309 


gave him the idea of killing his daughter without 
harm to himself.” 

“ But if he was mad, he would not care about 
harm to himself so long as he succeeded in killing 
Mazzucata.” 

“ Not at all, major,” said Tancred, smiling ; “ mad- 
men are very cunning, and always contrive to save 
their own skins.” 

“ Do you think he was mad ? ” 

“ Mad as a March hare — as a hatter. Read that 
manuscript, major, and you will see his mania, 
which was to save his daughter’s soul by slaying 
her body.” 

“ It was rather quixotic of Miss Maxwell to ac- 
cuse herself of the crime simply to save her father 
— especially as he is a madman.” 

“ Yes, but perhaps she does not think him mad. 
Besides, I don’t think she quite understood the 
risk she ran of thus accusing herself. She did not 
love her father particularly, either.” 

“Nor her sister. At least, she spoke badly 
enough about her.” 

“ That was the very reason I refused to believe 
her story,” said Tancred, quickly ; “ she overdid 
the matter. No, she loved her sister dearly, and 
all that feigned hate was but to render her story 


310 


TEE BLACK CARNATION. 


of the murder more likely to be true. But, as 1 
have said before, she overdid it ; therefore, I guessed 
that it was all a false story, ” 

“ And did you suspect it was told to shield her 
father ? ” 

“Well, to tell you the truth, I did,” answered 
Tailored, candidly, putting the confession away in 
his drawer, “ but I had made so many mistakes 
before, that I did not care about revealing my 
suspicions until I was certain. Now, of course 
— thanks to Melchizedek — I see they are cor- 
rect.” 

“ I bluffed him fine, did I not, gents both,” said 
Melchizedek, making preparations for his departure, 
a thing I was not sorry to see. 

“ Well, you will be rewarded for your trouble,” 
answered the lawyer, coldly. “ I will tell Sir Gil- 
bert he owes his freedom to you.” 

“ And what about Dallas, Tancred ? ” 

“ Oh, he will leave England, as, after his dis- 
graceful behavior, I don’t think he will dare to 
face Tressinger ; but Nemesis is on his track in the 
person of lima Celinski.” 

“ I’m glad the case is over,” I said, yawning ; 
“ my detective fever is cured, but never will I run 
the risk of getting another. No matter how care- 


TEE BLACK CABNATION. 


311 


fully one’s plans are laid, the truth is generally 
revealed by chance.” 

“ Or Melchizedek,” said Tancred, with a laugh ; 
“ but after all, I think the whole discovery is due 
to the Black Carnation.” 


312 


THE BLACK CABNATION, 


EPILOGUE. 

BY SIR GILBERT TRESSINGER, BART. 

As one of the principal actors, in the strange 
drama of the Black Carnation, I claim my right to 
be heard. Tancred has written the prologue. 
Major Granby has set forth the story,, and I there- 
fore, must be permitted to finish with the epilogue. 
I am the more anxious to do this, as there is still 
a little matter to be revealed in connection with the 
affair, of which the general public are ignorant. 

After my release from prison, I made a point 
of seeing Miss Maxwell ; that noble woman, who, 
out of filial affection, took her father’s guilt upon 
her own shoulders. Her appearance was so much 
like that of my poor Marietta, that I own I was 
much moved ; for the twins resembled one anothf'^’ 
in every way, save that Miss Maxwell was, un- 
happily, blind. 

So fascinated was I with this charming woman, 
til at I called on her again and again ; for I pitied 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


313 


her greatly for her terrible affliction. It is Shake- 
speare, I think, who says that pity is akin to love, 
and certainly in this instance the remark proved 
true. At first, I merely pitied Miss Maxwell, but 
that feeling rapidly changed to love ; for, besides 
having the beauty of her dead sister, she was quite 
as charming in every way. I loved Madame 
Mazzucata with my whole soul ; and, now that she 
was dead, found that she still survived, in the 
person of her blind sister. One thing led to another, 
and in the end, I married this noble being, who 
had suffered so much, and whose afflictions were 
so many. 

Many people, including Major Granby, tried to 
dissuade me from this course, as, from inquiries 
made, it was proved that her father, Simon Max- 
well, was insane. Had his insanity been of an 
hereditary nature, I perhaps might have hesitated, 
but I discovered that it was caused by an accident. 
During his early life, he had fallen from a high 
ladder on to his feet, a distance of some twenty 
f©^, and the shock, though breaking no bones, un- 
settled his brain. Afterwards, he recovered, though 
ill for many months ; but, for the rest of his life, 
he was more or less insane, which, in the end, 
caused him to commit that purposeless crime. On 


314 


THE BLACK CABNATIOK. 


making this discovery, I saw that there was no bar 
to my marriage with the daughter, for the insanity, 
being caused by an accident, was not hereditary. 
I, therefore, married her, blind as she was, and 
have had no reason to regret the choice, which has 
given me such a charming wife. 

Regarding Dallas, I heard of him the other day, 
as having been seen at Monte Carlo, in company 
with a lady, whom, I have no doubt, is lima Celinski. 
Dallas acted in a cruel fashion towards me ; but he 
is now being punished, for his Nemesis, in the 
person of that Polish fiend, is constantly at his 
heels. As the story of his actions towards me is 
more or less known, he dare not return to England, 
at the risk of being ostracized ; and while he re- 
mains abroad, lima Celinski will never leave him. 
She holds him fast in her toils ; and though, I am 
sure, he loaths his bondage, yet he has not the 
power to break 'away; for, until he dies, lima 
Celinski will remain by his side. She loves him 
dearly ; he hates her fiercely ; but she is his visible 
punishment, and, therefore, I pity him. 

As to my dear old friend. Major Granby, he is 
now abroad, recruiting, after the arduous task of writ- 
ing his version of the case ; but I expect, when this 
book is published, he will hasten back to town. 


THE BLACK CABNATION. 


315 


in order to hear what his friends have to say. I 
trust the book will be successful ; though, I am 
afraid the major will be dreadfully chaffed about 
his six theories, which he builds up and dismisses 
in such a lordly fashion. It is true all the names 
are changed, so, perhaps, no one will suspect Major 
Granby of being an author ; but, I am afraid that 
our dear major cannot keep a secret, and that the 
fact that he is an author will leak out in the 
course of a day or two. 

At all events, in spite of the major’s peculiarities 
of style, and allusions to Pointer and his own 
belief, the story is truly set forth, as I know to my 
cost. Lady Tressinger is, unfortunately, blind, and 
so cannot read the major’s masterpiece for herself, 
so I will have to read it to her, which will be a 
good thing in one way, inasmuch as I can soften all 
reference to her unhappy father. He committed a 
great crime, it is true, but being insane, he was not 
morally responsible for his actions. My only 
wonder is that he did not try and kill his other 
daughter also, in the hope of saving her soul ; but, 
thank heaven, such a contingency was stayed by 
the discovery of his crime, his insanity, and his 
subsequent death. 

And the famous Black Carnation no longer exists. 


316 


THE BLACK CARNATION. 


In a short time people will deny that it ever did 
exist ; but, however Maxwell managed to produce 
such an extraordinary flower, there is no doubt, 
that such will never be seen again, for he is dead, 
and into the next world has carried with him the 
secret of the Black Carnation. 


THE END. 








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BLACK 


THE 

CARNATION 

* 

A RIDDLE 


BY 

FERGUS HUME 

AUTHOR OF 

THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB,” “MONSIEUR INDAS,” 
“ MADAM MIDAS,” “ A CREATURE OF THE NIGHT.” 


Deep in the night, 

Hides terror; 

And the day’s light; 

Shows error ; 

But that which is last. 
Shall reveal the first ; 
And the net be cast. 

O’er the head accurst. 


NEW YORK 

UNITED STATES BOOK COMPANY 

5 AND 7 East Sixteenth Street 


Chicago : 266 & 268 Wabash Ave. 








